US piling up pressure on Pak to act over botched Times Square bombing investigations

Washington, May 6 (ANI): The United States is piling up pressure on Pakistan to follow the leads being provided to it over the attempted Times Square bombing with substantial action.

In a series of meetings and telephonic conversations with the Pakistani leadership, the Obama Administration has made it very clear that Islamabad would have to act after 'clear links' were established with Pakistan in the failed bombing plot.

Addressing a press briefing here, Assistant Secretary of State Philip Crowley said Washington has been in constant touch with Islamabad regarding the investigations, and that it has specifically been told what it should do.

"The purpose of the meetings was to inform Pakistan that there are clear links to Pakistan and that we would fully expect them to do what they should do and what they have been doing. Whatever leads are generated here in the United States ... we would fully expect Pakistan to follow up on," Crowley said.

"Pakistan, as you are seeing, has already taken its own steps. I'll defer to the Pakistani government to describe what it is doing," he added.

Crowley said US Ambassador to Pakistan Anne Patterson had detailed meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari, Foreign Minister Shah Memmood Qureshi and also talked to Interior Minister Rehman Malik over the issue.

President Obama's Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke also had a telephonic conversation with Qureshi, The Dawn reports.

When asked whether the US was satisfied with the action initiated by Pakistan, Crowley said : "I think it's more a matter of what we do from this point forward."

Crowley also clarified that the White House has not given Islamabad any list of things it wanted it to concerning the botched bombing attempt, but added that Washington will make specific requests as the probe proceeds.

"I expect we will make specific requests of Pakistan in terms of cooperation," he said.

Crowley said that the attempt to bomb Times Square had "international implications" and the United States expected Pakistan to help explore those implications. (ANI)