WASHINGTON, Nov 16: The US and Pakistani governments reached a deal in September that allows US drone attacks into Fata and enables Pakistan to publicly protest against them without the fear of contradiction, The Washington Post reported on Sunday.

“Officials describe the deal as one in which the US government refuses to publicly acknowledge the attacks while Pakistan’s government continues to complain noisily about the politically sensitive strikes,” the Post reported.

The deal led to a considerable increase in US air strikes since the installation of the new government in Islamabad, the Post said.

Recently, unmanned US drones have fired missiles into Pakistan at an average rate of once every four or five days, killing many civilians but also some militants. From December to August, when Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf stepped down, there were six US Predator strikes in Pakistan. Since August, there have been at least 19, the Post noted.

The newspaper indicated that an understanding on air strikes contributed to the suspension of ground assaults into Pakistan by helicopter-borne US commandos. Pakistan had vigorously protested a Sept 3 US ground attack inside Fata.

A spokesman for the Pakistan Embassy, when asked to comment on the Post’s story, said: “We never gave permission for such attacks” but the Post quoted a senior Pakistani official as not only confirming the deal but also as taking credit for improved cooperation with the US.

“Contrasting Mr Zardari with his predecessor, retired Gen Pervez Musharraf, the official said Musharraf ‘gave lip service but not effective support’ to the Americans. This government is delivering but not taking the credit,” the Post reported.

However, in Islamabad, a senior Pakistani official denied any understanding with the United States on drone attacks in the tribal areas.

Foreign office spokesman Muhammad Sadiq described the Washington Post report as baseless.

Talking to DawnNews, the Foreign Office spokesman said the American media kept publishing baseless reports on such agreements.

He noted that under the rules of engagement, only Pakistani troops could operate on their side of the Pakistan-Afghan border.

The Post, however, quoted the senior Pakistani official as saying that the US-Pakistani understanding over the air strikes was “the smart middle way for the moment”.

Citing a potentially more favourable popular view of President-elect Barack Obama, he said that “maybe with a new administration, public opinion will be more pro-American and we can start acknowledging more cooperation.”