Islamabad - Islamabad on Monday asked the new head of US
central command, General David Petraeus, to halt airstrikes inside
Pakistan, saying these were harming its efforts to fight
international terrorism.
'Continuing drone attacks on our territory, which result in loss
of precious lives and property, are counterproductive and difficult
to explain by a democratically elected government. It is creating a
credibility gap', President Asif Ali Zardari told the commander of US
forces in the Middle East and Central Asia.
Petraeus' visit comes at a time when relations between Washington
and Islamabad are strained because pilotless US aircraft are
regularly targeting suspected militant hideouts in Pakistan's tribal
region along the Afghan border.
According to Pakistani officials, these strikes cause heavy
civilian casualties and fuel anti-US sentiment, complicating the
country's efforts to combat terrorism.
Pakistan on Wednesday summoned US Ambassador Anne Patterson to
lodge a protest against recent US drone attacks.
Two days later, around 30 people died as US drones fired missiles
in South and North Wazristan tribal regions.
These raids should be stopped and the focus should be more on
enhanced coordination and intelligence-sharing, Zardari said, warning
that the government was 'under pressure to react more aggressively'
against the attacks.
Pakistan says only its forces have the right to act against
Taliban and al-Qaeda militants using its tribal region to launch
cross-border attacks on US-led international forces in Afghanistan.
Six militants were killed and many were injured by Pakistani
troops in an action in the Mamoond and Chahrmang areas of the Bajaur
tribal district.
The security forces started pounding Taliban positions Sunday
night with artillery fire, and the operation continued until Monday
morning, a security official said.
Petraeus, who is accompanied by Assistant Secretary Richard
Boucher on his first international trip, also held talks with
Pakistan's military chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Defence
Minister Ahmad Mukhtar.
Meanwhile, gunmen seized Afghan national Akhtar Kohistani Sunday
in the North-West Frontier Province's Darosh district, 80 kilometres
south of Chitral, the region's main town.
Local police officials said the captive was associated with the
United Nations Development Programme in Afghanistan.
Darosh police chief Sher Akbar said a group of armed men seized
Kohistani at his father-in-law's house.
There was no official confirmation from UN officials in
Afghanistan or Pakistan.
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