Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has urged the United States to take Pakistan on board wile revising its Afghan policy.
He conveyed Pakistan's concerns about U.S. Afghan policy while talking to James Jone, the U.S. National Security Advisor, who called on him during his visit to Islamabad Friday.
Pakistan's state-run television reported on Friday night that Gilani apprised the U.S. official of Pakistan's concern about Taliban's
infiltration into Pakistani territory from Afghanistan.
He said: "Pakistan and the United States should have close mutual consultation and coordination on issues of deployment of U. S. forces in Afghanistan, fencing of Pak-Afghan border, and checking of arms and drug smuggling."
He also urged the need for commencement of result-oriented strategic dialogue between two countries.
Gilani's remarks came at a time when the United States is in the final stages of devising a new strategy for Afghanistan, weighing options to send more troops to the country and work out an exit strategy.
Gilani told James Jone that Pakistan was concerned over increase in number of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, "particularly in Helmand province."
Helmand is adjoining Pakistan's Baluchistan province, where Pakistani officials have in the past alleged presence of training camps for Baloch separatist and from where Baloch insurgents have allegedly been receiving
arms supplies and financial support.
Pakistan had also raised the issue with the U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke in recent times.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also raised with James Jone the issue of peace and security in Afghanistan 'and its impact on Pakistan.'
Islamabad has constantly been expressing its reservations about the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, insisting that Pakistan needs to be taken on board while devising a new strategy for the country.
Pakistani officials had opposed several parts of the previous strategy of President Obama and forcefully resisted plans to send U.S. forces inside Pakistani territory to crack down al-Qaida terrorists. Following strong opposite signals from Pakistan, the United States had agreed not to carry out direct military actions inside Pakistan. However, it persisted with its plan to continue missile strikes by its Predator drones, which, Washington claims, have proved very effective in eliminating al-Qaida leaders.
U.S. and NATO officials say over a half of top al-Qaida leaders have been killed in drone strikes in South Waziristan and other Pakistani tribal territories.
Pakistani officials have even been opposing the term AfPak, which the Obama administration uses for Afghanistan and Pakistan and appointing a common envoy - Richard Holbrooke - for both countries.
When U.S.-NATO commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal, in his recent strategic review, called for sending additional forces to Afghanistan, Vice President Joe Biden opposed the call and rather insisted on increasing
attacks inside the Pakistani tribal areas.
U.S. officials and Western media have constantly been claiming that Pakistani border areas are a safe haven for al-Qaida and Taliban leaders, who use these areas as a springboard for launching attacks inside Afghanistan.
For its part, Pakistan alleges that insurgents operating in its tribal areas are being armed and supported from across the Afghan border.
Last week, a Pakistani military commander in the Bajaur tribal region along the Afghan border alleged that Taliban insurgents in the area were
being equipped and financed in the Afghan border.
Pakistan alleges that Afghan Taliban militants are also supporting their Pakistani counterparts in South Waziristan region, where Pakistan army is engaged in a fierce operation against insurgents.
Irrespective of the allegations and counter-allegations, analysts believe that Pakistan is an important player in the region and its role in
resolving regional problems cannot be overlooked.
The United States and NATO can also not underestimate efforts made by Pakistani security forces to suppress Taliban insurgency in the northwestern parts of their country, which have, in past, being providing sanctuary for al-Qaida and Afghan Taliban.