A top American military official in Afghanistan has said that the United States has no plans to take military operations against al Qaeda and Taliban forces inside Pakistan.
"Pakistan has a very extensive and capable military. And we will do operations only within Afghanistan and in complete cooperation with the people of Pakistan. We do not intend to take any operations into Pakistan," said Colonel Gordon Phillips of the US Air Force and Commander of the Nangahar provincial reconstruction team.
At a video press conference from Afghanistan, Colonel Phillips was asked how he has been able to address concerns raised by Pakistan on the contentious issue of American forces and allied troops chasing al Qaeda and Taliban forces inside Pakistan.
Amid mounting pressure on President Pervez Musharraf to do more to fight terrorism, Pakistan last week told the US that any unilateral American strikes on its soil would be counter-productive to the close cooperation between the two countries.
Pakistan's concern over calls in the US for unilateral action to target al Qaeda and Taliban in the areas bordering Afghanistan was conveyed by Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri to Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher, who was in Islamabad last week.
Asked to clarify reports of the threatened military action, Boucher had referred to statements by US President George W Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in which they said they respect Pakistan's sovereignty.