The new chief of Pakistan's spy agency is expected to urge the United States to end drone strikes on its soil amid reports of yet another aerial raid by unmanned U.S. aircraft that killed 11 suspected militants on the south west of Pakistani tribal region bordering Afghanistan.
Reports on Tuesday quoting a Pakistani intelligence official said Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt. Gen. Zahirul Islam would also ask CIA Director Gen. David Petraeus to help Islamabad identify targets that the country's security forces could attack, during a meeting with his American counterpart, scheduled for August 2 at Langley.
The much-awaited visit of Zaheer to talk with Petraeus on counter-terror cooperation and intelligence sharing was called off unilaterally by Pakistan two months ago during adverse developments in bilateral ties.
"It would be ideal if the U.S. provides drone technology to Pakistan," the new ISI chief is expected to tell Petraeus, according to the Pakistani intelligence official who refused to disclose his identity.
If CIA will swap information on key militant targets such as Taliban, al-qaeda hideouts and training camps in the tribal areas, the Pakistani security agencies will then deal with the situation accordingly, says the proposal to be presented to the CIA chief.
On the other side, to ensure compliance, CIA can use any mechanism to monitor the Pakistani operation on the ground, including drones.
Pak news channel Geo TV reported on Monday quoting government officials that missiles fired by U.S. drones destroyed a compound in North Waziristan, which allegedly housed a group of militants fighting under Hafiz Gul Bahadur, a prominent leader of a Pakistani Taliban faction based in the volatile tribal region.
The Pakistani government had lodged strong protest against the unilateral U.S. raid into the country that killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden last year, and continuing U.S. drone strikes on its territory.
But during his visit to Afghanistan last month, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said the United States was running out of patience with Pakistan, which continued to provide safe havens for militants to launch attacks on its western neighbor.
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