U.S. again pressures Pak to tackle terror outfit Haqqani Network on its soil

Tokyo, July 9 (ANI): The United States has once again pressed Pakistan to take on the Haqqani Network, which it hold responsible for attacks on U.S. targets in Afghanistan.

According to a senior U.S. official, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar to put pressure on the Haqqani network, reports the Daily Times.

"In many ways, the fact that the (land routes) were closed was getting in the way of a lot of conversation with Pakistan. Now that (they) are open, we have an opportunity, it seems to me, to go back into business with them and counter-terrorism is one of those areas. So, we'll see," the official added.

After her meeting with Khar, Clinton said both were encouraged they had "put the recent difficulties behind us" but she acknowledged the difficulties in the relationship in blunt terms.

The U.S.-Pakistan relationship remained challenging for both despite the reopening of Pakistani land routes, Clinton said.

"I have said many times that this is a challenging but essential relationship. It remains so. And I have no reason to believe it will not continue to raise hard questions for us both. But it is something that I think is in the interests of the United States as well as in the interests of Pakistan," she added.

Clinton said the top issue she discussed with Khar was "the necessity of defeating the terror networks that threaten the stability of both Pakistan and Afghanistan as well as interests of the United States" and its allies.

Clinton had apologised to Pakistan last week for a November NATO air strike that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers and Islamabad responded by reopening the NATO supply routes that are crucial to the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan. (ANI)