'US must help Pakistan in pushing al Qaeda out of tribal areas'

Washington, Mar 29 (ANI): The United State should provide helicopters, night vision equipment and economic support to Pakistan to help the country in pushing out al Qaeda from the Tribal Areas, recommends a White House paper released with the announcement of the US strategy.

The report titled "White Paper of the Interagency Policy Group's Report on US Policy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan" emphasises that engaging and focusing Islamabad on common threat (for both countries) would include "successfully shutting down the safe haven for extremists".

It also "requires consistent and intensive strategic engagement with Pakistani leadership in both civilian and military spheres".

"The engagement must be conducted in a way that respects, and indeed enhances, democratic civilian authority," the White Paper stresses.

President Barack Obama on Friday enunciated a revamped strategy towards Pakistan and Afghanistan in the light of the recommendations made after a two-month review by a panel of high-level experts. (ANI)