KUALA LUMPUR: Pakistan has asked the United States to take it into confidence about a new strategy on Afghanistan, saying that its expertise and coordination are vital to success.

The Pakistani statement came as senior US officials said that Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah’s decision to quit an election run-off will not complicate President Barack Obama’s deliberations on war strategy.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made clear the Obama administration will work with Afghan President Hamid Karzai should he remain Afghanistan’s leader, as seems all but certain.

‘It is now a matter for the Afghan authorities to decide on a way ahead that brings this electoral process to a conclusion in line with the Afghan constitution,’ Clinton said in a statement e-mailed to reporters on Sunday while travelling in Morocco.

‘We will support the next president and the people of Afghanistan, who seek and deserve a better future.’

At a meeting in Malaysia, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said he put the request for closer involvement in the US deliberations to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during her visit to Pakistan last week.

‘I requested her, that they’re undergoing a review of their Afghan strategy, it would be highly appreciated if we could share the findings of that review and seek our input,’ he said.

‘Because we understand the area, we understand the tribes, we understand the local customs and traditions and our input might be useful for the Americans,’ he said on the sidelines of a meeting of the Group of Eight developing Islamic countries.

‘If there is synchronisation in our efforts, then the results would be far better than we have had in the past.’

Mr Qureshi said that a well-coordinated ‘surge’ in troop numbers would have a good chance of success, but that a poorly planned escalation could merely push militants across the border into Pakistan.

‘Have you solved the problem? No you have not, you have just transferred the problem to come back to you at a later time,’ he said.

‘You have threatened your supplies and your logistics into Afghanistan,’ he said.

‘Let’s not forget that Pakistan is your main supply line, 85 per cent of your supplies are going through Pakistan.’

‘The more we coordinate, the more effective our operations will be on both sides of the border.’

Mr Qureshi brushed aside Mrs Clinton’s comments that she found it ‘hard to believe’ that nobody in the Pakistan government knew where Al Qaeda leaders were hiding in the tribal belt.

‘I think what she was being was not negative or sarcastic, I think she was being objective. Because we are partners, we are allies and we have shared objectives,’ he said. – Agencies.