The top U.S. military officer says Pakistan's intelligence agency still has connections to militants fighting in Afghanistan.
Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Pakistani media Wednesday that some members of the Inter-Services Intelligence agency have a long-standing relationship with the Haqqani militant network. Officials have for years suspected the ties, which Pakistan denies.
Mullen arrived in Islamabad earlier Wednesday for a two-day visit that includes talks with Pakistani Army Chief Ashfaq Kayani.
The visit comes amid tensions between the two countries following the arrest of a CIA contractor in Pakistan, a series of deadly drone attacks in Pakistan's northwest, and a White House report that criticized Pakistan's counterterrorism efforts.
U.S. officials have never publicly acknowledged the use of drone strikes inside Pakistan, but privately they have confirmed their existence to various news outlets.
On Monday, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani called for an end to the drone attacks, saying the United States should share intelligence so Pakistan can take action against terrorists on its own soil.
His comments came during a meeting in Islamabad with a U.S. congressional delegation led by the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, John Boehner.
Article by VOA News