NATO chief meets Zardari, to meet Gilani and other Pak leaders

Islamabad, Jan.22 (ANI): NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer held talks with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari in Islamabad on Thursday on regional issues such as security along the Afghan border.

De Hoop Scheffer is also expected to meet Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar, the Dawn quoted official sources as saying here.

NATO leads the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), made up of more than 51,000 troops from nearly 40 countries, which is assisting Afghan government forces in the fight against the Taliban.

Extremist attacks in the recent past of disrupted supplies to NATO troops operating in Afghanistan.

De Hoop Scheffer has already said that NATO needs 10,000 more troops to help provide security for scheduled elections in Afghanistan this year. (ANI)