July 12, 2008	Saturday	Rajab 8, 1429

WASHINGON, July 11: Fo-reign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Friday that it’s harsh to describe US strikes on targets inside Fata as unfriendly acts.

After a 45-minute meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Mr Qureshi told the media that he had “frank, candid, honest and realistic” talks with his American counterpart.

Asked if US attacks on targets inside Fata were not unfriendly acts, Mr Qureshi said: “It is a harsh statement.”

Mr Qureshi counted the food crisis, Fata, security and the prime minister’s forthcoming visit among the subjects that dominated the meeting.

The economic dialogue starting on Aug 11, US-Pakistan strategic talks in September, the holding of a jirga with Afghanistan and regional cooperation were other subjects he said he discussed with Ms Rice.

His meeting with Afghan Foreign Minister Rangeen Dadfar Spanta in New York earlier this week also came up for discussion, so did his recent visit to New Delhi.

A senior diplomat, when asked to interpret Mr Qureshi’s description of his meeting with Ms Rice as “candid and realistic,” said “apparently there’s no meeting of minds.”

Talking to a group of journalists after the meeting, Mr Qureshi said Pakistan was doing “whatever is possible to do” to deal with terrorism in Fata.

The government of Pakistan, he said, has its own strategy for Fata, which includes “political engagement, talks with tribal elders and with saner elements.”

After the recent military actions in the Khyber Agency, Pakistan was talking to the militants from a position of strength, he added.

Mr Qureshi dispelled the impression that Pakistan was stirring troubles in Afghanistan. “We want a stable Afghanistan. Normalcy and peace in Afghanistan is in our interest.”

Pakistan, he said, should not be blamed for the internal problems of Afghanistan as well.

“It is easier to pass the buck,” said the foreign minister when asked why Kabul was blaming Islamabad for its troubles.