Washington, Apr 5: A key US negotiator for ensuing peace in the Middle East has said that PPP co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif had “faulted” while declaring that they intend to deal with terror by talking to extremist groups in the tribal border areas, and opposing American bombing in those areas.

He has said this in an article published in the current issue of New Republic.

He writes it’s understandable that the Bush administration was concerned about developments in Pakistan, considering its nuclear status.

According to him, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf had lost much of the support of the Pakistani public, which increasingly believes that their country was paying a price for being a part of US-led war of terror.

“To make matters worse, Pakistanis increasingly believe that they are paying the price for the US war against Al Qaeda and the Taliban. They are interpreting the increasing terror attacks in the country as a direct response to the US bombing of Al Qaeda targets in the border areas,” the Daily Times quoted him as writing in his article.

He also writes that Musharraf was not energetic in going after Al Qaeda and the Taliban in the border areas, instead turning a “blind eye”. (ANI)