| Submit your comments on this article |
| India-Pakistan |
| Pakistan Faces Criticism at Regional Summit Over Alleged Terrorism Role |
| 2008-08-04 |
| Diplomatic discussions continued Sunday on the sidelines of a South Asian leaders' summit concerning the alleged role of Pakistan's intelligence service in recent bombings in Afghanistan and India. While Afghanistan's president Hamid Karzai was meeting with Pakistan's prime minister here, a top U.S. diplomat on Sunday called for the new government of Yousuf Raza Gilani to do more to reign in possible rogue elements of Pakistan's intelligence service. Richard Boucher, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for central and south Asia, says Pakistan's government is facing "enormous problems" in dealing with extremism and other domestic crises. Boucher says Washington has pledged to help Islamabad "in every way," but the Pakistani government needs to assume greater responsibility. "They have a lot of very big challenges. But one of the things is working with the other institutions, including the army and the intelligence service," said Boucher. "They need to get everybody lined up in the same direction if they are going to tackle the terrorist problem." India and Afghanistan have accused Pakistan's intelligence agency of planning the July 7 bombing of the Indian Embassy in Kabul. An estimated 60 people died, including two senior Indian diplomats. |
| Posted by:Fred |