Taliban poses danger to US, Pak, India: Zardari
Zardari acknowledged that the Taliban poses a danger to Pak, US & India.
By PTI |
WASHINGTON: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has acknowledged that Taliban, with whom the NWFP government reached a truce deal in the restive Swat valley days ago, are ���murderous thugs and militants��� who ���pose a danger to Pakistan, the US and India���.
US special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, who is just back from Pakistan, told CNN here: ���He (Zardari) doesn���t disagree that the people who are running Swat now are murderous thugs and militants and they pose a danger not only to Pakistan, but to the United States and India.���
When specifically asked if Mr Zardari gave him any commitment, Mr Holbrooke, who conveyed Washington's concern to Mr Zardari on telephone, said: ���That I don���t know. But the issue isn���t whether he signs the deal or not, the issue is the negotiations themselves.���
The United States has conveyed strong concern to Mr Zardari over the truce deal with a Taliban-linked group for enforcing Shariah law in the restive Swat Valley. President Barack Obama and secretary of State Hillary Clinton are worried that this deal should not turn into a surrender to the Taliban militants, Mr Holbrooke told Zardari in a telephonic conversation.
Mr Holbrooke said US is worried over the peace deal signed between the North West Frontier Province government and the Taliban as it gives the extremists authority in a critically important part of the country.
US special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, who is just back from Pakistan, told CNN here: ���He (Zardari) doesn���t disagree that the people who are running Swat now are murderous thugs and militants and they pose a danger not only to Pakistan, but to the United States and India.���
When specifically asked if Mr Zardari gave him any commitment, Mr Holbrooke, who conveyed Washington's concern to Mr Zardari on telephone, said: ���That I don���t know. But the issue isn���t whether he signs the deal or not, the issue is the negotiations themselves.���
The United States has conveyed strong concern to Mr Zardari over the truce deal with a Taliban-linked group for enforcing Shariah law in the restive Swat Valley. President Barack Obama and secretary of State Hillary Clinton are worried that this deal should not turn into a surrender to the Taliban militants, Mr Holbrooke told Zardari in a telephonic conversation.
Mr Holbrooke said US is worried over the peace deal signed between the North West Frontier Province government and the Taliban as it gives the extremists authority in a critically important part of the country.
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