By Neville DÇruz, Bernama
Melbourne : The head of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston has called for diplomatic pressure to be applied on Pakistan to stop insurgents moving across its border into Afghanistan .
Houston is due to attend a NATO summit on Afghanistan in Bucharest on Wednesday with Australia ’s Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who is pushing for a new strategy for the war and a bigger troop commitment.
Houston told Fairfax newspapers more diplomatic effort was needed to convince Pakistan to crack down on Taliban bases in the country, which are used to attack civilians and Western forces across the border.
“We must engage Pakistan and I think the way we do that, though, is we use all the levers of diplomacy,” he said.
“It is important that we engage them in practical and effective diplomatic ways to seek their support to ensure we deny the Taliban the freedom to move across that border.
“What is important is all the Western countries work together … to apply the necessary diplomatic endeavours.”
It’s understood that a NATO declaration on the war will not cover Pakistan, although it will be addressed in strategy documents at the summit, Fairfax reported.
A senior government source said the issue was a serious problem.
“The government is looking at it, without dealing with it in public,” the source told Fairfax . “But it is difficult to do anything while Pakistan is in flux.”
Afghanistan ‘s ambassador to Australia , Amanullah Jayhoon, told Fairfax that Pakistan could help fight the terrorists if it wanted to.
” Australia, being a friendly country to both Pakistan and Afghanistan , could bring it up and ask for more cooperation.”
Australia , a non-NATO nation, has 1,000 troops serving in south-central Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.