America opposed to Pak govt's pact with militants: US Senator

ISLAMABAD: The US is opposed to any agreements with Pakistani militants and will not tolerate cross-border raids on its troops in Afghanistan by terrorists based in Pakistan's tribal areas, a top American Senator said.

"We are against any agreement with militants, Taliban and Al Qaeda who have sworn to harm the US," said Senator Russ Feingold, who met with Pakistan's top leadership during his four-day visit to the country.

"The US will have no problems if (the Pakistan) government deals with peaceful tribal leaders... We are not ready to negotiate with those who want to kill Americans or cause harm to America," Feingold, who serves on the Senate's foreign relations, judiciary and intelligence committees, told reporters yesterday.

The new government led by the Pakistan People's Party is negotiating with the local Taliban through tribal elders and a peace deal has already been signed with militants led by Maulana Fazlullah in the northwestern Swat valley.

However, Pakistani Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud has said that his fighters will continue the jehad in Afghanistan despite the peace talks with the government.

Feingold, who met with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, said the reinstatement of judges deposed by President Pervez Musharraf was "the single most important issue" facing Pakistan.

He demanded the "immediate and unconditional" reinstatement of all the deposed judges, saying they were sacked without valid reasons. Their restoration was "simple enough" and should not be linked with constitutional reforms, he said.