WASHINGTON, Oct 7: US-led forces should avoid claiming civilian casualties in any strikes on terror suspects in Afghanistan to avoid destabilizing Pakistan, the country’s envoy in Washington said on Sunday.

Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi also warned the world to learn a lesson from the bloody factional fighting that tore Afghanistan apart after the Soviet occupation ended in 1989, urging it not to turn its back on the region again.

She said Islamabad’s military government would weather any internal backlash, but warned that Pakistanis did not want more bloodshed in Afghanistan.

“We feel certain that we will be able to manage the situation, but it will be very important to our people to see that there are no further losses of innocent lives in Afghanistan,” she told NBC television’s “Meet the Press”.

Pakistan stands by the world community in its drive to bring Osama bin laden to justice, she said and added, “the sooner it is done, the better for the entire world.”

She said Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf had warned the Taliban that its days were numbered as they had not responded to the determination of the world community to see justice done.—AFP