Pak says recent US raids from across Afghan border led to hotel bombing

London, Sept 23 : The recent US' raids inside Pakistani territory aimed at eliminating suspected terrorists but killed innocent civilians in the action, led to Saturday's hotel blast in Islamabad killing 60 people, Pakistan's ambassador to the UK Wajid Shamsul Hassan, has said.

"We hope the US will change policy because this is what is needed," The Independent quoted Hassan as saying.

He added that Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari will plead with President George Bush today to change the policy of attacking Pakistani territory with drones because this is being blamed for one of his country's worst terrorist atrocities.

He argued that the Bush administration's decision to allow cross-border incursions from Afghanistan into Pakistan, including by ground forces on at least one occasion, had been counterproductive because "they are not killing high-value targets, they are killing civilians".

Zardari's talks with President Bush in New York, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, have been scheduled amid heightened security fears in the wake of the bombing.

As a precautionary measure, the British Airways had cancelled all flights to Pakistan, although a spokesman said there was no direct threat against the airline which operates six flights each week.

Meanwhile, a number of foreign embassies and businesses in the country are also said to be re-examining the security situation, especially after Abdul Khaliq Farahi, Afghanistan's designated ambassador to Pakistan was kidnapped and his driver killed by unidentified gunmen.

ANI