Washington:
Pakistan's hopes for a nuclear deal and call for a more active US role in resolving the Kashmir issue seem to have been dashed.
During the strategic dialogue between the two countries, Washington has made it clear that such a deal is out of the question and it cannot and will not interfere with India's foreign policy.
Foreign Minister Qureshi had openly said at the start of the first ministerial strategic dialogue between the US and Pakistan that Pakistan wants the US to have a non-discriminatory access to energy, clearly indicating that Islamabad would like to be treated at par with New Delhi on a civilian nuclear deal.
He also called for a constructive US role in ending the Kashmir dispute.
But Secretary of State Hillary Clinton did not make any mention of a nuclear deal and instead stressed that there are other avenues of improving the existing energy situation in Pakistan.
She also said her government can only encourage India and Pakistan to have dialogue.
"I want to just underscore that our goal in the Obama Administration is to make clear that we are going to be a partner with Pakistan going forward on a full range of matters. Now, we can't dictate Pakistani foreign policy or Indian foreign policy. But we can encourage, as we do, the in-depth discussion between both countries that we think would benefit each of them with respect to security and development," Hillary said.
Meanwhile amid all the diplomatic overtures, what caught the media attention was how the delegates of the two countries sat, not across the table separately, but intermingling with each other.