WASHINGTON (US): Pakistan has said terrorists are fleeing its tribal areas as a result of the country’s intensive military campaign with its Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi urging a long-term U.S.  commitment and more consultations between Washington and Islamabad on devising a way forward in the region.

“Today, as we put heat on the terrorists in Pakistan, in the tribal belt, they are fleeing Pakistan, the  sanctuaries they had are no longer acceptable to the people of Pakistan,” Qureshi told National Public Radio in an interview.
 
Pakistan has successfully eliminated terrorists training camps in recent years, he said in reference to  militants who had crossed over to Pakistan to find sanctuaries following the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan  immediately after September 11. 2001 terrorist attacks.

The top Pakistani diplomat spoke as Islamabad planned a major assault on militant stronghold Wasziristan on the heels of its widely-hailed anti-militant success in Swat and other northwestern valleys.

“The government of Pakistan is playing its role to deal with (terrorism) threat (along the Afghan border)  and we have done that in a convincing manner in the last year and a half,” Qureshi said.

He ruled out the presence of Taliban leadership in Quetta, asking the United States to share any  intelligence it had about Taliban leader Mullah Omar’s being in the capital of the southern Balochistan province.

“If the U.S. intelligence is that clear, it should share that intelligence with us and we will help them,  catch him. Because we have an interest in getting hold of Mullah Omar and Osama bin Laden. But we are not sure of  their presence. If you are confident of the information that you have, we are your allies, share it with us.”

“I don’t think they know,” he pointed out, when asked if the U.S. is not sharing information proving Omar’s presence in Quetta. “If they were there, we could have traced them out. But we don’t think they are there,” the foreign  minister satated in response to another question regarding assertions that the Taliban leaders were hiding in  Quetta.

Asked what Pakistan would like the United States to do at this pivotal stage of their common  anti-terrorism struggle, the foreign minister underlined the need for a long-term commitment, economic development  support and more consultations between the two allies.

“A greater understanding of Pakistan, help us stabilize our economy, and more consultations with Pakistan --- in formulating a policy, in devising a strategy.”

Questioned if the U.S. has not done enough consultation with Pakistan, the foreign minister said: “I’m not saying they haven’t done. What I am saying is more is required, more engagement is required.”

In answer to a question about arrested Afghan terrorism suspect Afghan Najibullah Zazi’s reportedly being able to travel to Pakistan to attend a training camp, the foreign minister said: “We have a policy of searching for these camps and eliminating these camps and we have successfully done so in the last few years.”

He reminded the critics of Islamabad’s effort that since 9/11 no other country has arrested more al-Qaeda  associates than Pakistan. “Do not underestimate the contribution that Pakistan has made. Without Pakistan’s logistic support,  without Pakistan’s intelligence cooperation, without Pakistan’s s sympathy, and without Pakistan being on your side, you won’t have achieved what you have achieved so far.”

The foreign minister welcomed the U.S. assistance under the recently passed Kerry-Lugar bill and hoped it  would help bring economic opportunities to people and curb violent extremism. He said the people of Pakistan feel that they were abandoned in 1989 when, through cooperation between  Pakistan and its Western allies, the Soviet Union withdrew from Afghanistan.

“You left, you abandoned us without seeing through the implications of the consequences that the fight has had on Pakistan. “Are you aware of the fact that, we still have almost three million Afghan refugees, living in Pakistan.  Aren’t they a drain onour resources. Has somebody even thought about that? That is one example. And there are many  such examples.

Asked about the best decision Washington could make from Pakistan’s perspective at this critical moment of the anti-terror struggle when the Obama  Administration is reviewing to improve upon its strategy for Pakistan-Afghanistan region, the foreign minister responded: 

“A long-term commitment to Pakistan and the region so that when you do recede, we ensure that we have in place the structures to replace and not create a vacuum that you created in the past.”