Zardari visited US Embassy: Sources

Islamabad, Feb 20 : After the general elections were over, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari visited US Embassy on Tuesday and met with US officials, sources have revealed.

Sources also said that the US is working on a formula under which the PPP would form a government with a coalition of smaller parties such as the six-party religious alliance, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), the Muttehida Qaumi Movement (MQM), a Pashtun sub-nationalist party, and the Awami National Party (ANP), as well as independents and moderate leaders from tribal areas, Syed Saleem Shahzad wrote in the Asia Times Online.

The United States is pushing PML-Q to support the government from opposition and continue its policies on the "war on terror".

"Americans cannot do anything if we stop the operations in tribal areas. If they stop military aid, they are welcome to do so. We don't need military aid. All we need is economic aid and they just cannot afford to stop it. Why? Because all NATO supply lines pass through Pakistan and if they stop economic aid, Pakistan can stop supply lines, which would end their regional war on terror theater once and for all. This is the biggest crime of Musharraf - that he could not understand the strategic value of Pakistan in the region and could not exploit it," said Lieutenant General Hamid Gul.

"The purpose of the operation is to carry out a comprehensive operation with precise attacks on the militant hideouts in the tribal areas. The American presence in Pakistan has only two limited goals. They are equipped with hi-tech intelligence equipment, and second they would provide training to our troops to make better use of this equipment. However, they would not take any active part in the operations," a senior security official told the online.

The official also admitted that for purposes of surveillance and coordination the US officials might accompany Pakistani troops during the operation.

According to the online, Pakistan's fragile political situation suggests that the operation may be put on hold, giving valuable time for the Taliban and al-Qaeda to regroup for a spring offensive. "Such a campaign may occur as early as April."

ANI