(CNN) -- Pakistan's prime minister urged Afghan government officials to look for other partners to ally with beyond the United States in a meeting earlier this month, and suggested it seek closer ties with China, a source close to the Afghan government told CNN. But Afghan sources disagree on how strongly the Pakistanis were trying to push their neighbors, and there is no indication from either source CNN spoke to about the Afghan government's receptiveness to the idea. At the meeting between senior Afghan and Pakistani officials April 16 in Kabul, Afghanistan, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Gilani urged the Afghans to draw closer to Pakistan and to China, disengaging with what he depicted as a weakened United States, according to the source close to the Afghan government.
@highlight
The meeting was held in April in Kabul
@highlight
The source says Pakistan's prime minister suggested closer ties to China
@highlight
Tensions have been high between Washington and Islamabad in recent months
Afghan
Afghan
Afghan
Afghan
Afghan
Afghanistan
Afghans
Afghan
The source, who did not attend the meeting but has spoken with a number of the officials who were present, said that while the topic was not the only subject discussed in the meeting, Gilani did tell the @placeholder that Pakistan can protect them but they need to accelerate the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country.
Afghan
Afghan
Afghan
Afghan
Afghan
Afghanistan
Afghans
Afghan
"The fact of the matter is @placeholder is a country that needs the Americans to rebuild.
Pakistan
Pakistanis
Pakistani
Pakistani
Pakistan
Pakistan
"Of course, the @placeholder delegation had negotiations on Afghan bilateral relations to strengthen them and they have their concerns," the palace source added.
Afghan
Afghan
Afghan
Afghan
Afghan
Afghanistan
Afghans
Afghan
"Pakistan fully supports an @placeholder-led, Afghan-owned process for peace and reconciliation.
Pakistan
Pakistanis
Pakistani
Pakistani
Pakistan
Pakistan
"It tells more about relations between the U.S. and @placeholder and how they have hit rock-bottom," the source said, than it does about Pakistan-Afghan relations.
Pakistan
Pakistanis
Pakistani
Pakistani
Pakistan
Pakistan
Several strikes have claimed the lives of what some @placeholder officials have said were innocent civilians.