US wants Pakistan to take 'strong steps' on Afghan militants 
SLAMABAD: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday urged Pakistan to take "strong steps" to deny Afghan militants safe haven and to encourage the Taliban to reconcile after 10 years of fighting.
"We look to Pakistan to take strong steps to deny Afghan insurgents safe havens and to encourage the Taliban to enter negotiations in good faith," Clinton told reporters alongside Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar.
She said conversations had been specific and in depth, adding that the United States was looking for action "over the next days and weeks, not months and years, but days and weeks because we have a lot of work to do to realise our shared goals."
The top US diplomat insisted that Washington was committed to a long-term relationship with Pakistan, saying that the country "has a critical role in supporting Afghanistan reconciliation and ending the conflict".
Relations between Pakistan and the United States deteriorated dramatically over the May 2 American special forces raid that killed Osama bin Laden near Islamabad and US accusations over the September 13 US embassy siege in Kabul.
But while Clinton was at pains to emphasise the points of common interest, she called for "greater cooperation" from Islamabad on squeezing the Haqqani network blamed for the US embassy siege and which has a base in Pakistan.
"If we're going to give peace a chance, we have some work to do. That's what we've been discussing in detail," said Clinton.
With US and Afghan troops now pressing a new offensive against the Haqqani network in eastern Afghanistan, Clinton called on Pakistan to up the pressure on militant safe havens on its side of the border.
"Similarly we need greater cooperation on the Pakistani side of the border... We want to squeeze these terrorists so that they cannot kill any Pakistani, any Afghan or anyone," she said.
Pakistan has so far refused to open a new offensive against the Haqqani network in its leadership base in North Waziristan, arguing that its troops are too overstretched and that the country has already sacrificed too many lives.
"It's not just military action. There is greater sharing of intelligence so we can prevent and intercept the efforts by the Haqqanis or the Taliban to try to cross the border or to plan an attack," said Clinton.
"We are working to establish concrete steps to address the planning and execution of attacks inside Afghanistan and inside Pakistan," said Clinton.
"I want very much for the people of Pakistan to understand that we're in this fight with you and we want to do everything we can to try to end the violence and eliminate the threat that stalks every day people's lives.
"We look to Pakistan to take strong steps to deny Afghan insurgents safe havens and to encourage the Taliban to enter negotiations in good faith," Clinton told reporters alongside Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar.
She said conversations had been specific and in depth, adding that the United States was looking for action "over the next days and weeks, not months and years, but days and weeks because we have a lot of work to do to realise our shared goals."
The top US diplomat insisted that Washington was committed to a long-term relationship with Pakistan, saying that the country "has a critical role in supporting Afghanistan reconciliation and ending the conflict".
Relations between Pakistan and the United States deteriorated dramatically over the May 2 American special forces raid that killed Osama bin Laden near Islamabad and US accusations over the September 13 US embassy siege in Kabul.
But while Clinton was at pains to emphasise the points of common interest, she called for "greater cooperation" from Islamabad on squeezing the Haqqani network blamed for the US embassy siege and which has a base in Pakistan.
"If we're going to give peace a chance, we have some work to do. That's what we've been discussing in detail," said Clinton.
With US and Afghan troops now pressing a new offensive against the Haqqani network in eastern Afghanistan, Clinton called on Pakistan to up the pressure on militant safe havens on its side of the border.
"Similarly we need greater cooperation on the Pakistani side of the border... We want to squeeze these terrorists so that they cannot kill any Pakistani, any Afghan or anyone," she said.
Pakistan has so far refused to open a new offensive against the Haqqani network in its leadership base in North Waziristan, arguing that its troops are too overstretched and that the country has already sacrificed too many lives.
"It's not just military action. There is greater sharing of intelligence so we can prevent and intercept the efforts by the Haqqanis or the Taliban to try to cross the border or to plan an attack," said Clinton.
"We are working to establish concrete steps to address the planning and execution of attacks inside Afghanistan and inside Pakistan," said Clinton.
"I want very much for the people of Pakistan to understand that we're in this fight with you and we want to do everything we can to try to end the violence and eliminate the threat that stalks every day people's lives.
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