US Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen said he has raised the issue of interference into Balochistan with the Indian leadership. Talking to a private TV channel, Mullen said he talked to his Indian counterparts, both former and current, and the Indian political leadership about Pakistan’s reservations. He said he had also discussed the issue with Pakistan Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was involved in the killings of US citizens, Mullen said adding that Al Qaeda-Taliban collaboration in the Pak-Afghan border area had spurred violence in both countries. The US Army chief said Pak Army has taken up vital measures to cope with the extremists and clinched successes, adding the relations between Pakistan and the US are based on mutual interests.
He also said if Indo-Pak tension is terminated and headway towards the resolution of Kashmir issue is achieved, then the issue regarding the regional stability to a large extent would be resolved. Mullen ruled out putting any US troops on Pakistani soil for anti-militant operations along the Afghan border and said a stable and supportive Kabul would help Islamabad in formulating its future strategy. “No, no. There’s no – absolutely no provision, nor – or no discussion of putting any US troops in Pakistan,” he told the PBS channel when asked if the US troops could target terrorists on the Pakistani side of the Afghan border. – Daily Times
