Huma Aamir Malik, Arab News

KARACHI, 7 March 2004 — Pakistan has angrily denounced comments made by the US ambassador to Afghanistan that America may move against terrorists based in Pakistan. The war of words comes as the United States steps up patrols along the rugged border of Afghanistan with Pakistan in an attempt to catch Al-Qaeda and Taleban militants.

Pakistani forces are doing a better job hunting Al-Qaeda and Taleban fighters in tribal areas than US forces ever could, a minister said yesterday in response to an apparent threat by a US envoy.

“We can do our job, we know our job, and the Americans don’t know the ground situation. We know better what is going on,” Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said. He was responding to US Ambassador to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad’s criticism of Pakistan’s efforts to sweep Al-Qaeda and Taleban fighters from sanctuaries in its unruly northwest tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.

Khalilzad said in a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington on Monday that despite Pakistan’s recent army operation the extremists were still able “to base, train and operate from that country’s territory.” He said the US could not allow “terrorist sanctuaries” in Pakistan to “fester indefinitely”.

“We are the country that has delivered the best results in this war... our progress is far better than anybody’s,” Sheikh Rashid responded.

Khalilzad said that Washington would prefer Islamabad to deal with the problem, and that the Pakistani government had agreed. “We are prepared to help President Musharraf,” he said, “because one way or another the problem will have to be dealt with.”

But Sheikh Rashid said the army was fully capable of “confronting terrorists” and it was not necessary for US troops to cross the border from Afghanistan.

Pakistani troops “have sacrificed their lives in fulfilling their pledge to combat terrorists”, he said.

“We do not need anybody in our territories; neither will permission be given to anyone. These kind of irresponsible statements can create political problems for us.”