Pakistan to defend if attacked: Owais; says Obama warnings undercut Pak govt

“I think they are being shortsighted and they are being unrealistic,” said Ghani, a key Musharraf lieutenant, referring to Obama and other US officials.

“What the allies and the world must understand is that no government, whether political or military, can remain involved in this global war on terrorism unless the majority of public sentiment backs it,” he said. “These strikes are undermining that, but even the statements are, too.”

Meanwhile, presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Obama met US troops in Afghanistan during a visit to assess efforts against extremists.

Last week, he said that “if Pakistan cannot or will not act, we will take out high-level terrorist targets like (Osama) bin Laden if we have them in our sights.”

The New York Times reported last month that the US administration last year drew up a plan making it easier for US special forces to act in Pakistan’s tribal belt, but internal rows have kept it from getting the green light.

“It would be disastrous,” Ghani said, when asked about the possibility of such US action. “It won’t do any good for anybody, not for the world, not to Afghanistan, not to Pakistan.”