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Pakistan's Foreign Ministry says only Pakistan, and not a foreign
military, has responsibility for acting against terrorists within the
nation's borders.
The comment came a day after reporters asked
the top U.S. military official whether U.S. forces have authority to go
after al-Qaida and Taliban leaders in Pakistan's tribal areas without
Pakistani permission.
Admiral Mike Mullen replied that has
"all the authorities" he needs if there is reliable information about
the presence of al-Qaida or Taliban leaders.
In other news,
former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has rebuked a top U.S.
State Department official for saying Pakistan should focus on
terrorism, food prices and power shortages rather than on President
Pervez Musharraf.
In comments to reporters Thursday, Sharif said
that what Pakistan has to do with "an unconstitutional president" is an
internal affair, and there is no need for any foreign advice.
On
Wednesday, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher said in
Islamabad that Pakistan should focus on issues more important than the
future of Mr. Musharraf.
Also Thursday, Britain has pledged $955
million in development aid to Pakistan over the next five
years. The aid increase was announced by British Secretary of State for
International Development Douglas Alexander during a meeting with
officials in Islamabad.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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