US Special Representative Richard Holbrooke arrived in Pakistan on Monday for talks on ways to tackle Taliban militancy in Afghanistan, according to dpa. Holbrooke, who was recently named by US President Barack Obama as his envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, flew into Islamabad from Munich where he told a security conference that "new ideas and better coordination" were needed to fight the Taliban. The diplomat was scheduled to met Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Army Chief of Staff Ashfaq Parvez Kayani during his four-day visit. "In these meetings, both sides will discuss bilateral cooperation with a special focus on the security issues," a spokesman for the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The spokesman said Islamabad was hoping to embark on a constructive relationship with the Obama administration. Pakistan is seeking a halt to US airstrikes on suspected hideouts of al-Qaeda and Taliban militants in the rugged north-western tribal region bordering Afghanistan. Stressing that the unilateral raids were proving "counterproductive" to the efforts against extremism, Pakistani leaders want the US to balance the military dimension with dialogue and reconciliation. Qureshi on Sunday asked the international community to adopt "a regional approach" to resolve the Taliban problems. "Any lasting and sustainable solution must respect local customs, traditions, values and religious beliefs," he said. Holbrooke had described the Afghan situation as "much tougher than Iraq." He said the US and NATO as well as their allies had a long and difficult struggle ahead. The United States plans to nearly double its troop deployment in Afghanistan by sending in up to 30,000 personnel by summer. Afghanistan and India are also included in the itinerary of the seasoned diplomat, who won much praise for his statesmanship in brokering a peace agreement among the warring factions in Bosnia in 1990s. Holbrooke's tour comes amid simmering tensions between Pakistan and India in the aftermath of November 26-29 terrorist attacks in Mumbai which killed more than 170 people. India linked the attacks to a Pakistan-based terrorist organization, Lashkar-e-Taiba. Islamabad denies any involvement at state level in the siege, but it has acknowledged that the lone arrested attacker, Ajmal Amir Qasab, was a Pakistani citizen. During 61 years of their existence, the nuclear-armed arch-rivals have fought three wars, with two over the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir, which both claim in totality. Pakistan believes Holbrooke's appointment would be a way forward in resolving the lingering dispute, Washington has categorically clarified that "it's (Kashmir) is not in his mandate."
