Change your focus on India as a threat: US tells Pak

“We have had a series of meetings with both Pakistanis and the Afghans,going in depth about how to get the Pakistani government to change their focus,from what they viewed as their existential threat,namely,India – to what we view as their existential threat – namely,this extremist insurgency,” Clinton said.

Appearing before a Congressional Committee,Clinton expressed concern over the advance of Taliban militants towards major cities of Pakistan and said it posed an “existential threat” to the country.

“Changing paradigms is not easy,but there is an increasing awareness of not just the Pakistani government but the Pakistani people that this insurgency coming closer and closer to major cities does pose such a threat,” she said.

The advances of Taliban,which moved to about 100 kms of Islamabad by taking control of Buner district just outside the capital region,has stunned the US,prompting Clinton as well as a number of senior American officials to come out openly against Pakistani leadership abdicating to the militants.

Clinton’s comments came a day after she bluntly told Islamabad that it was “abdicating” to the militia and extremists by agreeing to the Islamic law in parts of the country.

She said special US representative Richard Holbrooke and top military general Admiral Mike Mullen,have been spending “countless hours” in “painful conversations” to make the Pakistani establishment realise that the Taliban is its major enemy not India.

“If you have been locked in a mortal contest with someone you think is your principal enemy,and all of a sudden circumstances change,but they don’t change so much that you’re still not worried about that other enemy,it just takes some time,” Clinton told the lawmakers.

The White House also expressed its concern over the situation in Pakistan,with its Press Secretary Robert Gibbs saying that the news coming from that country over the past several days is “very disturbing”.

“The administration is extremely concerned,” Gibbs said,adding the deteriorating situation in Pakistan and Afghanistan has been consuming much of the time of President Barack Obama.

“That’s why you’ve seen this administration propose increases in investments directly related to military security and the ability to confront extremists,” he said.

Concerned over the volatile situation in Pakistan,Holbrooke on Thursday had a telephonic talk with President Asif Ali Zardari.

Zardari assured Holbrooke that the Pakistan government will not allow anybody to challenge its writ or run a parallel administration in any part of the country.

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates also emphasised that Pakistani leaders must take action against rapidly expanding Taliban militants.

“I think that some of the leaders certainly understand that (threat posed by the Taliban),but it is important that they not only recognise it but take the appropriate actions to deal with it,” Gates told reporters.

The State Department also asked Pakistan to take decisive action against the Taliban.

“In our view,the (Pakistan) government and the military need to take very decisive and aggressive action against these extremists,” State Department spokesman Robert Wood said.

He said the Government of Pakistan is now well aware of the threat being posed by the Taliban and al Qaeda.

“We don’t need to tell the government of Pakistan what a threat these extremists are,” he said.