News - Afghanistan

Afghan analysts on Saturday rejected moves by the Obama administration to lessen restrictions placed on Pakistan by US Congress saying that tough measures were needed for Pakistan's attitude on terrorism to change.

"Pakistan's policy will not change until the US and Afghanistan take a strict and coordinated policy against it," political analyst Omar Sharifi said.

Kabul University lecturer in law Nasratullah Stanikzai also said that the US was being too soft.

"It would seem that the US and Pakistan have some deal. The Pakistanis know how to play with the US," he said.

The comments come after the Obama administration warned Congress that some of its restrictions on Pakistan may damage the campaign against terrorism in Afghanistan.

The Executive Office of the US President said in a statement released Friday that limitations on reimbursement for times when Nato supply lines are closed may have a negative impact on bilateral relations.

The restriction was introduced in the recently passed National Defence Authorisation Act for US fiscal year 2013.

It also claimed that some of the certification requirements "require the Secretary of Defence to certify Pakistani cooperation on issues outside of his purview".

The statement said the restrictions are "proposed at a particularly sensitive time and would severely constrict [Department of Defence]'s ability to respond to emergent war-time coalition support requirements, putting at risk the success of our campaign in Afghanistan."