Washington, September 21
Accusing Pakistan’s military-run ISI of using the Haqqani network to carry out a “proxy war”, US has warned Islamabad to cut ties with the terror group and help eliminate its leaders or it will act unilaterally.

In what amounts to an ultimatum, the US administration have indicated that the US will act unilaterally if Pakistan does not comply, The Washington Post daily reported.

Quoting officials, the paper said the message was delivered at high-level meetings and public statements over the past several days reflecting Washington’s view that the yearlong strategy of using persuasion and military assistance to influence Pakistan’s behaviour has been ineffective.

According to the Post, White House officials and Defence Secretary Leon Panetta are said to be adamant in their determination to change the approach.

The report comes as Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen told a meeting here last night that in his discussions with Pakistan army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, he had pressed Islamabad to end its links with the terror group.

“We covered a full range of issues focusing on the danger of the Haqqani network, the need for the Haqqani Network to disengage...the need for the Haqqani network to disengage, specifically the need for the ISI to disconnect from Haqqani and from this proxy war that they’re fighting,” he said during his address at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace here.

He added, “The ISI has been doing this - working for - supporting proxies for an extended period of time. It is a strategy in the country and I think that strategic approach has to shift in the future.” — PTI