No more lip service now: US tells Pakistan

Concerned over increasing influence of Taliban in Pakistan, the United States on Wednesday told top leadership in Islamabad that the "era of lip service was over" and it was now time to work plans and be very specific.

Talking to media persons after her meetings with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that she told each of them that the three countries would basically have work plans and they all need to be very specific.

"A lot of lip service was paid in the past that did not translate into better lives, more safety, more security, economic development for the people of Pakistan," she said in response to a question.

"We want to know what we have agreed to, what they have agreed to, how we're going to proceed toward meeting those goals and objectives, and timetables that will be utilised to keep all of us focused on the job ahead," she said.

Terming the meetings as "breakthrough," Clinton said both countries have made commitments, but she said the details of which are still being worked out and would be announced at the end of the two-day trilateral meetings on Thursday.

However, the Secretary of State did refer to some of the commitments made by the US. She said the US would establish a training program, the Borlaug Fellows training program; architect of the green revolution in India.

The Obama administration, Clinton said, is also looking to deepen the work on the cross-border issues, joint parliamentary exchanges and military training, border coordination centers.

"We want broader-based law enforcement reform, a vigorous anti-corruption agenda that removes the impunity that too often has existed in the past," she said.

Given the complexity of the situation in the Af-Pak region, Clinton acknowledged that just two trilateral meeting is not going to solve all the problems.

During the meetings, she said the two presidents spoke very movingly about terrorism in the region. "I think that they are committed to this conflict being resolved and their being able to produce more peace and security," she said.

Clinton also said the three countries are also working towards creating an atmosphere and a reality of candour and openness between them. "I think that is way overdue," she said.

Clinton says she is impressed by Pak's action against Taliban

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who till a week ago was very critical of the inaction on the part of Pakistan against Taliban, on Wednesday said that she is "quite impressed" with the recent Pakistani military action against militants.

"I'm quite impressed by the actions that the Pakistani government is now taking. I think that action was called for, and action has been forthcoming," Clinton told reporters after her meetings with the visiting Afghan and Pakistan Presidents.

Responding to a question on the failure of the Swat deal, to which she was herself opposed to, Clinton said she would not do a second-on guess the approach that was taken by the government of Pakistan, vis-a-vis the Taliban in Swat valley.

"Whatever the motive behind it might have been, the reality on the ground soon proved otherwise, that one had to confront the increasing influence and geographic spread of the Taliban," she said.

Clinton said there are not many Taliban fighters, but they are so intimidating and they are so ruthless that a very few can control a large swath of territory, which is something everybody learned in watching this unfold.