WASHINGTON — Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has resisted an appeal from President Barack Obama for a rapid expansion of Pakistani military operations in tribal areas and has called on the United States to speed up military assistance to Pakistani forces and to intervene more forcefully with India, its traditional adversary.
In a written response to a letter from Obama late last month, Zardari said his government was determined to take action against al-Qaeda, the Taliban and allied insurgent groups attacking U.S. forces in Afghanistan from inside Pakistan. But, he said, efforts would be based on Pakistan’s timeline and operational needs.
The message was reinforced Monday by Pakistan’s military chief, Gen. Ashfaq Kiyani, who told Gen. David Petraeus, the head of the U.S. Central Command, that the United States should not expect “a major operation in North Waziristan” in the coming months, according to a senior U.S. defense official. North Waziristan is a sanctuary for the Afghan Taliban.
The letters between the leaders, while couched in diplomatic niceties and pledging mutual respect and increased cooperation against insurgents, reflect ongoing strains in a relationship that is crucial to both.
Meanwhile, a Pakistani court granted police on Tuesday another 10 days to question five Americans held on suspicion of links to Islamist militants, a government official said.
Authorities said they had released the father of one of the five men who was arrested with the group last week. There was no evidence that Khalid Farooq, a U.S. citizen, had committed a crime, regional law minister Rana Sanaullah Khan said.
The men, ages 19 to 25, were reported missing from the Washington area after kin found a farewell video stating Muslims must be defended.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
