Kerry urges Pakistan to tighten screw on Taliban

During his surprise two-day visit, Kerry is expected to press the Pakistani leadership to strengthen its efforts in combating militant groups, and eliminate safe havens for terrorists near the border with Afghanistan.

A senior State Department official said Kerry would also lead the annual strategic talks between the United States and Pakistan during the visit, according to the AFP news agency.

"The secretary's engagement will be very critical to advancing our shared fight against militant extremism," said the official who asked to remain anonymous.

"It's obviously no secret that the US has pushed Pakistan to do far more on counter-terrorism."

Pakistan has already intensified its operations against extremists in recent months, especially after the massacre in Peshawar, which left 150 people dead. Most of the victims in the attack on a military-run school on December 16 were children.

However, the country has long been suspected of fostering certain militant groups in Afghanistan and India, while combating other fractions that target Pakistan itself. Some high-ranked state and army officials allegedly view the militants in the neighboring countries as strategic assets, which increase Pakistani influence.

Pakistan's Taliban, blamed for the attack in Peshawar, are separate from the Afghan Taliban, but share the goals of overthrowing their governments and establishing a strict Islamist state in the region.

Attacks continue

Upon arrival, Kerry was welcomed by Pakistan's foreign affairs and security advisor Sartaj Aziz and headed directly into meetings with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, as well as Pakistan's army chief, General Raheel Sharif.

"We heard you are planning to visit Peshawar and the school," advisor Sartaj Aziz told Kerry shortly after his arrival. There was no immediate State Department confirmation of Kerry's visit.

Despite Pakistan's crackdown on terrorism, five people were killed in a suicide attack on Friday, outside a mosque in Rawalpindi, next to Islamabad.

Rivalry with India

General Lloyd Austin, chief of the U.S. Central Command which oversees US military operations in the Middle East and South Asia, will also attend Kerry's meetings.

Kerry is also expected to push for better trade connections between Pakistan and Afghanistan, as well as calming of tensions with India, after recent exchanges of gunfire along the border with the disputed Kashmir region.

dj/rc (AFP, Reuters, AP)