Although the relationship between the US and Pakistan has been defined by traditional ties for several years, a striking shift to "soft-power diplomacy" and a possible change in the US foreign policy towards Pakistan seems to have emerged following Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's latest visit to Pakistan, reports the Khaleej Times. Secretary Clinton has recently returned from a trip to the Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan.

According to Dr. Maleeha Lodhi, the former Pakistani Ambassador to the US and the UK, Clinton's visit broke the traditional mold of diplomatic engagement through meetings beyond the conventional government compass, showing willingness to address concerns regarding the relations with the US, and engaging with criticism while speaking on contentious issues.

US envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke told CNN, in an interview with Christiane Amanpour, that the Secretary of State had an extraordinary trip and engaged in massive public diplomacy as she reached out to speak directly to many media sources, leaders, students, and hostile and skeptical journalists.

This interaction with civil society reflects the importance given by the Obama administration to public diplomacy in achieving foreign policy objectives, particularly in the "war against terrorism", reports the Pakistan Observer. Clinton acknowledged the existence of a trust deficit in this bilateral relationship, particularly towards the United States' intentions and actions.

Clinton assures, "The US and Pakistan remained allies and friends since Pakistan's inception," and stronger foundations will be used for future relationships. Her diplomatic mission aimed at resetting the tone and narrowing the gap between the two countries that have "so much in common, face a common threat, and have a common enemy in extremism and terrorism."

Holbrooke declared that the US has committed itself to greater support of Pakistan's ailing economy, reports the Dawn Media Group, as well as to dismantling Al-Qaeda and strengthening the country's democratic institutions.

However, while Clinton emphasized "turning the page" on the US-Pakistani relationship, the recently enacted Kerry-Lugar legislation resulted in vigorous criticism against US foreign policy, perceived as creating a rift between civilian and military institutions, and undermining the sovereignty of Pakistan.

The law is expected to provide annual economic assistance of 1.5 billion dollars and military assistance to Pakistan for the period of 2010 to 2014. Blogger Muhammad Asif Raza wrote that the framework applied by this legislation leads to increased US engagement and interference with Pakistan, putting Islamabad under greater pressure to "crackdown militants and smash networks involved in proliferation of nuclear weapons."

While the opponents of the legislation reject it on the basis of the stringent conditions, the US government is trying to win Pakistan's full cooperation as it deliberates new strategies for the region.

Clinton's visit gave the Pakistani civil society a chance to raise several questions and criticize the shortcomings of the American foreign policy. A journalist told Secretary Clinton that Pakistan is fighting a war that was imposed on them, and that the US "had a September 11, while Pakistan is having a daily September 11."

When asked for the reason underlying the "trust deficit" in the relationship between both countries, Secretary of State Clinton replied that "your enemy is not your enemy simply because they are our enemy," reports Politico.

Even though Clinton engaged earnestly in these discussions, her answers seemed to stand strictly by the United States policy towards Pakistan: applying the Kerry-Lugar Bill and defeating Al-Qaeda, remarks Politico.

The Pakistan Observer notes that there seems to be an end to the "cow-boy diplomacy" towards Pakistan practiced during the Bush presidency, and a beginning of "soft power diplomacy" under the Obama administration despite the fact that it is premature to see big differences at this stage.