US won't stand "slackness" by Pak Army in "war on terror": Holbrooke

ISLAMABAD: US special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke has said that his country would not accept any "slackness" on the part of the Pakistan Army in the war against the Taliban, due to their engagement in the ongoing flood relief efforts.

"Neither the security situation has changed fundamentally, nor the Taliban threat has receded and with the Americans placed in a difficult situation in Afghanistan, we certainly will not like to see slackness on part of the Pakistan Army in the war on terror," the Daily Times quoted Holbrooke, as saying to news reporters.

Referring to the situation in Afghanistan, he said that he did not believe "that the Americans are losing any battles or the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan, rather a recent surge of troops would certainly improve the situation in Eastern Afghanistan soon."

Pakistani military officials had said that the flood relief effort undertaken by the country's armed forces had forced the army to alter plans to combat the Taliban and Al Qaeda militants.

"In some places where the army was on offensive operations, they have taken defensive positions," military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas had said.