The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Islamabad

President Asif Ali Zardari warned the new US commander for Iraq and Afghanistan on Monday that missile strikes on Pakistani territory were "counterproductive" and detrimental to the 'war on terror.'

The most high-profile protest yet from Islamabad came as General David Petraeus made his first visit here since he took over the position last week, amid claims that it could signal a shift in strategy in Afghanistan. "Continuing drone attacks on our territory, which result in loss of precious lives and property, are counterproductive and difficult to explain by a democratically-elected government," Zardari said. "It is creating a credibility gap," the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan quoted him as saying. The series of strikes by unmanned drones against suspected Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants hiding in Pakistan's tribal badlands bordering Afghanistan have raised tensions between the two countries. Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar earlier told Petraeus that Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity should be respected, warning that future incidents could affect the battle for hearts and minds.