WASHINGTON, July 26: The new US military chief advocated on Tuesday a strong relationship with Pakistan but also advised Islamabad to focus on the Taliban and not just on India.

Gen Martin Dempsey also acknowledged that severing US military aid to Pakistan in 1990s was a major mistake, which created a new generation of Pakistani military officials without any links to the United States.

Gen Dempsey's confirmation hearing at the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday led to a close scrutiny of US-Pakistan relations, with some senators urging the Obama administration to reconsider the ties.

The committee's chairman Senator Carl Levin initiated the debate on Pakistan, insisting that failure to act against militant extremists, such as the Haqqani network in North Waziristan and the Afghan Taliban around Quetta, posed a “significant challenge” to US goals in Afghanistan.

The senator, who is known on Capitol Hill for his anti-Pakistan views, also quoted from a recent US Defence Department report, which described the Haqqani network, as “the most significant threat in eastern Afghanistan” and claimed that the group continued to find safe haven across the border in Pakistan.

Senator Levin also claimed that the Pakistan army had so far refused to conduct major operations to eliminate the Haqqani network's sanctuary in North Waziristan.

“Will you press the government of Pakistan to take the fight to the Haqqani network in North Waziristan?” he asked the new military chief.

“I will, senator,” replied Gen Dempsey. The Pakistanis, he said, pressed some militant groups, but not all, although “it's not always been clear to us exactly why they press some but not all”.

While replying to pre-hearing questions, Gen Dempsey suggested that the US should not push programmes that the Pakistanis did not want because doing so would dilute the value of US cooperation.

He also called for “a frank and respectful dialogue” with the Pakistan.

Gen Dempsey, who as acting Centcom commander held regular discussion with the Pakistan, recalled that during those talks both sides often discussed what threats posed the most serious challenge to Pakistan.

“They persist in the idea that India poses an existential threat to their existence while the terrorists that operate with some impunity in KP and Fata a less threat to them,” said the US general.

Because of this threat perception, the Pakistanis continued to allocate their resources accordingly and “they embrace different engagement activities”, he said.