Pakistan’s hostage rescue hailed, but tensions with US remain

ISLAMABAD: The freeing of a hostage US-Canadian family by Pakistan’s army has been hailed by officials as a positive step in mending ties between Washington and Islamabad, but those hoping fresh start in their fraught relationship seem likely to be disappointed.

Pakistan and the United States have for years been – at best – uneasy allies in the war against the Taliban and other Islamist extremists.

US President Donald Trump said the raid that rescued American Caitlan Campbell, her Canadian husband Joshua Boyle and their three young children showed that Pakistan had started to ‘respect the United States again’ in response to his administration’s tough-talking tactics.

But the two countries still have conflicting interests – and the Trump administration’s vow to apply more diplomatic pressure on Pakistan is unlikely to work, given Islamabad’s growing alliance with regional heavyweight China, say analysts.

“This is a small occurrence between Pakistan and the US, and it should not be confused with the big issues that separate Pakistan and the US,” said Pakistani security analyst Imtiaz Gul.

On Friday, five years after they were kidnapped in Afghanistan, Campbell and Boyle flew home with the three children born while they were captives of the Haqqani network, a feared Taliban sub-group that Washington particularly accuses Pakistan of failing to do enough to fight.

Some saw the timing as a goodwill gesture ahead of upcoming visits by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defence Secretary Jim Mattis. — Reuters