A top US Senator on Wednesday said that Pakistan should not negotiate with Taliban or al Qaeda militants near the Afghan border and should limit peace talks to tribal elders.
Democratic Senator Russ Feingold said during a visit to Pakistan that Islamabad's new government should not enter negotiations with "those who want to kill Americans." "The US will have no problems if your government deals with peaceful tribal leaders," Feingold told a news conference in Islamabad when asked how he viewed the current peace talks.
"The US opposes talks with militants and those linked to al Qaeda and Taliban," he said, adding: "We are not ready to negotiate with those who want to kill Americans or cause harm to America."
Meanwhile, Feingold called for the immediate restoration of top judges deposed by Musharraf under a state of emergency in November. Asked how he viewed President Musharraf's future, he said it was a matter for the people of Pakistan and elected representatives to take a decision about his future.
"But I think the US made a mistake in relying too much on a person who came to power through undemocratic means," he said without naming President Musharraf.
Meanwhile, Britain's Defence Minister Des Browne in Canberra on Wednesday endorsed the peace talks between Pakistan and Taliban despite concerns from Afghanistan that the talks would allow the Taliban to regroup and launch more attacks. Browne said that Britain supported any moves that would encourage militants to put down their weapons and stop violence, and added that Pakistan and Afghanistan needed to work together on problems.
He said that reconciliation should be part of any strategy, although it was clear that some militants had no intention of putting down their weapons. "But you can't kill your way out of these sorts of campaigns," Browne told journalists at Australia's National Press Club on Wednesday. Browne, in Australia for talks with Australian Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon, said that sovereign countries had the right to welcome insurgents back into society if they agreed to obey the rule of law and recognise democratic governments.