Pakistan on Tuesday told US Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke that peace with India is vital for it to concentrate on the war against terror along the Afghan border, in an apparent bid to put pressure on Washington to play a more active role in defusing Indo-Pak tensions.
Acknowledging that India and the Kashmir issue are not part of Holbrooke's mandate, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said he had made it clear to the envoy that "if Pakistan has to remain focussed on the western front, a calm eastern front is to everybody's advantage".
Holbrooke's "mandate is Afghanistan and Pakistan, period," Qureshi told a news conference in the Foreign Office.
He said the US has been playing a "positive role" in defusing tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Mumbai attacks.
Replying to a question, Qureshi said the Mumbai incident "did not surface" during his meeting with Holbrooke.
Pakistan's position that US drone attacks on militants in the tribal areas are counter-productive for the war on terror was conveyed to Holbrooke.
With the administration of new US President Barack Obama undertaking a review of its policy for the region, Pakistan has to be "on board" for such an exercise, Qureshi said.
{{/usCountry}}With the administration of new US President Barack Obama undertaking a review of its policy for the region, Pakistan has to be "on board" for such an exercise, Qureshi said.
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