FM Qureshi: More US drone attacks would harm ties; Zardari expresses concern over screening of Pak nationals in US; Petraeus: Drone attacks have increased after Khost attack; Lieberan: Pakistan “a full partner in the war on terrorism”;
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  • Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, addressing a joint press conference with the visiting US Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke on January 13 stated that escalating US drone attacks will adversely affect US-Pak ties. He added that the US should not cross certain “red lines” in their bilateral relations. Holbrooke on his part stated that the US would continue to assist Pakistan in rooting out militancy from its soil.[FN]Sajjad Malik, ‘Drone attacks, ground operations will hurt ties: Qureshi: US won’t leave Pakistan alone, says Holbrooke’, Daily Times, January 14, 2010 at http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\01\14\story_14-1-2010_pg1_1[/FN] President Zardari also conveyed to Mr. Holbrooke that the screening of Pakistani nationals in the US was a “cause of great concern.”1 Gen. Petraeus meanwhile told CNN that drone attacks in FATA have increased after the suicide attack on CIA officials in Khost in Afghanistan. He added that the US-Pakistan relationship was ‘absolutely critical’ in the fight against terrorism.2

    Earlier on January 12, at a meeting in Abu Dhabi attended by Afghan Foreign Minister Rangeen Dadfar Spanta, Foreign Minister Qureshi stressed that the “Afghan war has to be fought within Afghanistan. The challenges within Afghanistan cannot be resolved in Pakistan.”3

    The Co-Chairmen of the US Senate Committee on Homeland Security, Senator Joe Lieberman and Senator John McCain talking to CNN in the aftermath of their recent visit to Islamabad stated that Pakistan was “a full partner in the war on terrorism” and added that Pakistani people themselves were “targets of terrorism.”4

    In other developments, at the seventh round of annual defence and security talks on January 10, Pakistan and China agreed to initiate a joint strategy to deal with regional security challenges. Both countries reviewed their military ties and proposals for cooperation in fields of training, intelligence, logistics and joint defence ventures.5

    Meanwhile, an IMF report noted that Pakistan’s external debt will increase by more than 40 percent over the next 5 years.6

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