Pak rejects US proposal for joint ops against terror

While rejecting the proposal,Pakistani leaders told the top US officials that continuing drone attacks inside Pakistans territory were counter-productive. They asked the US officials to shift the drone technology and authority to the Pakistan Army,the sources said.

The rejection of the proposal followed a collective decision by the Government and military establishment to adopt a tough posture against a barrage of attacks and criticism from Washington that directly targeted the Pakistan Army and the ISI,the Dawn quoted its sources as saying.

The US criticism had created doubts about Pakistans sincerity in the war on terror and the fight against al-Qaeda and Taliban,the report said.

The two US officials came to Islamabad with the idea of doing some tough talking and pressuring both the political and the military leadership to step up their efforts in the war on terror,the report said.

Instead,what they got was a barrage of criticism of the American position and the allegations constantly leveled against Islamabad about either protecting some Taliban elements or not doing enough to eliminate what the US believes are the main elements carrying out attacks on NATO forces in Afghanistan, it said.

Sources said Pakistan Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani,during his meeting with Holbrooke and Mullen,too took a tough stance over drone attacks.

ISI chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha had refused to meet Holbrooke and Mullen on Tuesday.