Pentagon looking to work with new ISI chief

Pentagon has aid that it is looking forward to working with Lt. Gen. Zaheer-ul-Islam, the newly appointed head of Pakistans premier intelligence agency ISI, as the United States immensely values the defense cooperation with Pakistan.While answering questions of reporters during a briefing, Pentagon spokesperson Navy Capt. John Kirby said that Pak-US relationship is critical for the region as a whole and Afghanistan in particular.“We look forward to working with the new chief, he said without going in further details as to what impact this new appointment might have on the tension in bilateral relationship during the last few months.We have nothing to say on the appointment and the decision, he noted. “This is the decision that the civilian leadership of the nation of Pakistan has got to make. It is not for us to make the comment one way or the other on their appointments to high office,” Capt. Kirby argued.On the relationship with Pakistan generally, he reiterated the commitment of Pentagon to work on resolving bitter issues. “We look forward to having a good partnership with Pakistan moving forward. That’s what our focus is on. We believe it is critical for the region and for the mission in Afghanistan,” the spokesperson stressed.The military-militart cooperation particularly took a nosedive after the Nato attack on November 26 at Salala check-post in Mohmand that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. Pakistan has blocked NATO supply routes in protest and also got the Shamsi airbase vacated while the parliament is in the process of reviewing in bilateral relationship in its entirety.- Contributed by Awais Saleem, Dunya News correspondent in Washington, DC