Pakistan refuses US demands to do more on terror

Pakistan on Thursday closed ranks against increasing American pressure for action against the Al-Qaeda-linked Haqqani network, refusing to be pressured into doing more in the war on terror. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani brought together opposition leaders, members of his fragile coalition and military commanders in a rare "all-party conference" designed to forge unity in the latest showdown with Washington. The participants were summoned in the wake of stinging rebukes accusing Pakistan of involvement in recent attacks on the US embassy in Kabul and a NATO base in Afghanistan and demands that the government cut ties with the Haqqanis. "American statements shocked us, and negate our sacrifices and successes in the ongoing war against terror," Gilani told the gathering in opening remarks. But the Pakistani leader sought to lower tensions with the United States, saying that differences should be resolved through talks. "We should give up talking about assumptions for the sake of meaningful negotiations. Pakistan cannot be pressurised to do more. Our national interests should be respected. Our doors are open for dialogue," Gilani said. Washington is now conducting a final review on whether to blacklist the network linked to Pakistani intelligence as a terror group, which risks then exposing Islamabad to economic sanctions. Islamabad officially denies any support for Haqqani attacks in Afghanistan, but has nurtured Pashtun warlords for decades as a way of influencing events across the border and offsetting the might of arch-rival India. American officials want Pakistan to launch an offensive against the Haqqanis, but the military says it is too over-stretched fighting local Taliban to open a new front against a US enemy that does not pose a threat to Pakistan. Overnight, Washington appeared to tread more carefully on Pakistan, with White House spokesman Jay Carney saying he would not have used the same language as outgoing top US military officer Admiral Mike Mullen, and Clinton saying the countries have to "work together". Mullen had accused Pakistan of exporting violent extremism to Afghanistan and called the Haqqani network a "veritable arm" of its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency. But Pakistanis are deeply suspicious of US intentions and fearful of unilateral action similar to the raid that killed Osama bin Laden on May 2. The covert raid humiliated the army, embarrassed the government and brought relations between Pakistan and the United States to their lowest point.  More probable American action would be continued drone strikes targeting Islamist militants in Pakistan's semi-autonomous border areas with Afghanistan, or a cut in financial aid to the cash-strapped country of 167 million. Analysts said the conference will seek to defuse tensions but also rally political leaders behind the military, the arbiter of foreign policy. It was unclear to what extent politicians would question generals on the merits of policies exposing Pakistan to risk of international isolation. "I am confident that our nation is determined to defend its geographical frontiers, independence and sovereignty. Our armed forces are united as always. They have never disappointed their people," Gilani said. ISI chief Lieutenant General Ahmad Shuja Pasha and Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, who has just returned from talks in the United States and at the UN General Assembly, were to brief the conference, a senior official told AFP. More than 50 delegates attended, including army chief of staff Ashfaq Kayani, considered the most powerful man in Pakistan, opposition leader Nawaz Sharif and heads of Islamic parties such as pro-Taliban cleric Fazlur Rehman. Pakistan's oldest newspaper Dawn advised the one-day conference to become a first step towards re-crafting US relations, appealing for politicians to question the military on its traditional policies in Afghanistan. But retired general turned political analyst Talat Masood told AFP that the conference would send a strong signal that the political parties stood united behind the military. "Everybody knows that it is the military that will decide what type of relationship it wants with the United States," he said.