Kayani assures Kerry of harsh crackdown on LT

ISLAMABAD - US Senator John Kerry, the Chairman-designate of influential Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Tuesday urged both Pakistan and India to boost their cooperation in the ongoing fight against terrorism and resolve their conflicts through dialogue.
Senator Kerry, who reached Islamabad on Monday from New Delhi, as special representative of President-elect Barack Obama to discuss Indo-Pak standoff following last month’s Mumbai attacks, spent a busy day and held meetings with Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, COAS General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and also travelled to Peshawar to interact with Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani.
Before, his departure for the US Tuesday evening, Senator Kerry told a group of journalists that Pakistani leadership had assured him that stern action would be taken, if anyone on Pakistani soil was found involved in the Mumbai attacks.
Another leading US Senator Christopher S Bond, Vice-Chairman of the US Senate’s Select Intelligence Committee, who is also visiting Pakistan, at a separate Press conference here defended the drone attacks inside Pakistan and said the strikes were focused on “high-value targets”.
He said COAS General Kayani and Director-General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) General Shuja Pasha during meetings with him expressed their concern over the drone strikes. He said they were given assurance that the missile strikes were based on credible intelligence information.
When asked whether drone attacks would continue in the days to come, the US Senator replied in the affirmative, saying, “We do pursue the high-value targets.”
Earlier, Senator Kerry told newsmen that President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Gilani, Foreign Minister Qureshi and General Kayani condemned the ghastly act of terror in India’s financial capital, Mumbai, and resolved that no one would be allowed, whether an individual or entities, to take decisions on important foreign policy issues without the government’s consent.
He also said Pakistani leadership came up with an assurance that all possible steps would be taken to dismantle the terrorist camps on Pakistani soil and take strict action against those involved in acts of subversion.
He further said he heard strong pledges of cooperation by Pakistani officials of a joint investigation and sharing of information with India to prevent recurrence of incidents like Mumbai carnage.
The American Senator said cooperation between Pakistan and India in the fight against terrorism was need of the hour. “It is important for Pakistan and India to talk and use cooperative effort to eliminate this kind of threat,” he added.
He stated there was some miscommunication between Pakistan and India in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks but apt handling by Pakistan of the issue of technical airspace violation had sent signal to India that Pakistan was willing to respond positively.
He, however, said that India would not be satisfied merely by words and some action had to be shown. He maintained the United States was committed to help Pakistan in economy and other areas but there had to be a clear understanding about the rules of cooperation.
When asked about his meeting with President Zardari, Senator Kerry said the Pakistani President was very clear that it was time for joint collaborative efforts against the menace of terror.