Senator John Kerry’s visit to Pakistan has resulted in promises of joint cooperation.
The US and Pakistan agreed on Monday to work together in any future actions against “high value targets” in Pakistan, even as US Sen John Kerry defended Washington’s decision not to tell Islamabad in advance about the American raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Kerry said secretary of state Hillary Clinton will soon announce plans to visit Pakistan and announced that he and Pakistani leaders have agreed to a “series of steps” to improve relations.
Kerry also announced that Pakistan had agreed to return the tail of a stealth US helicopter that US commandos had to destroy during the Osama raid because it malfunctioned. Details of the promised cooperation were, however, unclear.
Earlier in the day, Pakistani military leadership made further cooperation with the CIA in the war against terror conditional, with a set of demands which has been handed over to the visiting Kerry.
Demanding a firm assurance from the US that no further unilateral military action would be undertaken on Pakistani soil by the Americans in the future, Pakistani Army Chief General Kayani made it clear to Kerry that the Obama administration would have to accept all demands if it wants anti-terrorism cooperation between Pakistan and the US to continue.
The list contained tough conditions like an end to drone strikes in tribal areas, withdrawal of US spies and defence contractors from Pakistan and complete intelligence sharing by the US about the possible presence of al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders inside the country.
“The US authorities will have to assure that they will not carry out military action here on their own in the future. We will not allow their boots on our ground and this will be made clear to them,” a senior official quoted Kayani as having told Kerry.
Kerry, too, had given Kayani a list of “specific demands” relating to US’ suspicions about Pakistan’s harbouring of militants, a Pakistani government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity said.
—with agency inputs
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