ISLAMABAD, Jan 12: US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher said here on Friday that Pakistan and the United States had been unsuccessful in eliminating terrorists and both needed to do more.

"Pakistan has not succeeded despite signing an agreement with tribal people in North Wazirastan as terrorists are still going into Afghanistan. Likewise, the United States did not succeed in Afghanistan to curb violence and extremists, and they both need to harness more efforts to make the region peaceful and safe," he told a press conference after high-level talks in the capital.

Mr Boucher, who looks after South and Central Asia in the State Department, said he had extremely fruitful discussions with the president, prime minister, foreign minister, foreign secretary, interior minister and the National Security Council (NSC) secretary on forging more cooperation in political, defence and economic fields.

He said it would take time to succeed against Al Qaeda, the Taliban and extremist elements in a region which was inhospitable and required great improvement as regards the security situation.

Pakistan and Afghanistan, he said, were taking a lot of measures to deal with terrorists and extremists. He was of the view that leaders of the two countries had never been as close to each other to deal with the issue.

He disagreed that there were moderate Taliban in Afghanistan and the US government should talk to them to improve security situation in that country.

"They are huge problems for the local Afghan people and have to be dealt with effectively," he said, adding that the Afghan people had not forgotten what the Taliban had done to them. He said both Pakistan and Afghanistan were experiencing radical violence for which they should harness joint effort to achieve their objectives.

The US official said that his country was providing all necessary support to both President Musharraf and President Karzai to succeed against terrorists and extremists. Taliban, he said, were trying to kill the Pakistanis, the Afghans and the Americans and therefore, they could not be spared.

Responding to a question, he said that the situation in Afghanistan had been discussed by the military officials of the US, Pakistan and Afghanistan on Thursday.

"Their point of view is almost the same to deal with the threat of terrorism in the region and elsewhere," he said.

"There is a better chance of communication now than ever before between Pakistan and Afghanistan to resolve their issues, and the credit goes to their leadership," he said.

To a question, Mr Boucher said that the Taliban were a serious threat, and the Nato was making all efforts to restrict their activities in Afghanistan.

However, he recognised that narcotics was a very serious issue which needed to be resolved by the Afghan government. Pakistan and Turkey were successful examples in this regard and the Afghan government should follow them, he added.

Drug trafficking was posing a lot of problems and the money earned through it was being used by the Taliban and other anti-social elements against the Nato forces as well as the Pakistan and Afghan governments, he said.

He told a reporter that a negotiated settlement with extremists in North Waziristan could not halt the movement of Al Qaeda and the Taliban from Pakistani tribal areas into Afghanistan.

"Therefore, this cross-border activity needs to be restricted," he said.

However, he said that he could not say whether this activity had increased after the signing of the agreement in North Wazirastan.

"And that is why I say that both the United States and Pakistan have not succeeded and we have to act together and we will have to continue our efforts," he said.

When asked if he had discussed the opposition’s apprehensions of rigging in the forthcoming elections with the Pakistani officials, the assistant secretary of state said: "We hope and believe that Pakistani people will be given a chance to take part in an election which is free and fair."

He said he would be meeting opposition’s politicians tonight to discuss various issues including the forthcoming elections.

Asked to comment on the statement of US National Intelligence Director Negro Pointing that Pakistan had become a safe haven for Al Qaeda, he said since he did not go through the full text of his statement, he would not say anything.

However, he said the press had not picked up good things that were talked about by Mr Pointing, in his statement. For example, he had said that Pakistan had been extensively cooperating in arresting Al Qaeda operatives and that Islamabad was extending its full cooperation to deal with terrorism in the region.

In reply to a question, he said he had discussed various other options to deal with those infiltrating into Afghanistan from Pakistan.

However, he did not comment on whether his country supported Pakistan to fence the border and lay mines.

Asked why the United States was taking so much interest in the education sector of Pakistan, Mr Boucher said that without education no country could progress. “We are providing necessary funding and assistance to Pakistan so that there are improved health and other facilities for the people," he said.

The US, he said, wanted Pakistan to provide modern education to its people and President Musharraf had taken rights steps in this regard.

Asked about the uniform of President Musharraf, he said the United States' opinion had not changed about it. However, he did not elaborate.

He said there were issues relating to Pakistan which could only be resolved by the Pakistanis.

When asked to comment how President Musharraf fared during his eight years in power and whether the US wanted him to continue, Mr Boucher said since he was not a Pakistani voter, he could not settle the issue.

"I cannot take any position on Pakistani politics," he said.

To another question, he said Pakistan had taken a very strong position against the Al Qaeda, the Taliban and extremists, and the United States fully appreciated it.

Pakistan, he said, was a key ally in the war against terror, and the US government would continue cooperating with it in all fields.

"I do not question the commitment and the resolve that is being shown by Pakistan against terror," he said.