The United States does not approve of negotiations with Pakistan`s top Taliban commander but backs Islamabad`s talks with tribal elders near the Afghan border, a senior US envoy said Wednesday.

Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher added that Washington welcomes an ongoing operation by Pakistani forces against Islamic hardliners near the northwestern city of Peshawar.

"We don`t support making concessions to Taliban leaders like Baitullah Mehsud," the Taliban chieftain who was accused by authorities of masterminding the slaying of former premier Benazir Bhutto last year, Boucher told reporters.

He said the United States backed the policy described in a statement by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani last week "where he said the intention was to negotiate with tribesmen not militants."

Gilani`s government launched talks with Taliban militants in Pakistan`s tribal frontier regions after defeating allies of US-backed President Pervez Musharraf in elections in February.

The move was aimed at ending a wave of Taliban-linked suicide bombings, but caused alarm among Western nations who allege that Pakistan-based militants are attacking their troops in Afghanistan.

Mehsud declared a ceasefire in April after negotiations with Pakistani authorities, but he announced at the weekend that he was halting all peace talks because of military operations by government forces.

Security forces launched an operation in the Khyber tribal district on the outskirts of Peshawar on Saturday, saying that the city was under threat from Islamic militants who were terrorising residents.

Khyber is also home to the main supply route for NATO and US forces in Afghanistan.

Pakistani officials say they have taken at least one town out of militant hands, but there has been little activity except for the demolition of several rebel hideouts and residents say most of the insurgents have fled.

Boucher however said the operation was a good step.

"The operation around Peshawar is very welcome. All people up there have had enough of the harassment by these groups, the threats to Peshawar," he said.

"But it`s a reminder of how much of a problem there is up there."

During a three-day visit Boucher held talks with Musharraf, Gilani and army chief General Ashfaq Kayani in Islamabad. He also met ruling coalition partner and former premier Nawaz Sharif in the eastern city of Lahore.

Boucher said the United States was trying to support the new government`s efforts to tackle mounting problems, including militancy as well as spiralling food prices and power shortages.

He said these issues were more crucial than the ruling coalition`s divisions over the fate of the embattled Musharraf and the restoration of judges sacked by the president under a state of emergency last November.

"President Musharraf isn`t the issue right now, this is not the problem that Pakistan faces right now," Boucher said. "The problems it faces are the bombings, suicide bombs, rising food prices, the energy difficulties."

Separately a Pakistani statement said that in talks with Boucher, Musharraf had "reiterated Pakistan`s commitment to fighting extremism and terrorism."

End.

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