WASHINGTON: "Pakistan would rather have the technical expertise with which it can combat militants on its border with Afghanistan than have the US fire missiles into Pakistani territory," Islamabad's ambassador in Washington argued in an interview on Thursday.

“The government of Pakistan has repeatedly said that it would like to have the capability to identify the targets on ground,” Ambassador Hussain Haqqani told the National Public Radio (NPR).

Pakistan, he stressed, prefers to do everything on the Pakistani side of the border itself.

“And the reason is very simple: Our military is capable in certain areas, but we lack the technical expertise to fight in some areas and would like to be capable enough so we can fight for ourselves.”

Pakistanis are committed to fighting militants on the Afghan border but it is unfair to characterise Pakistan as a base for Al-Qaeda-linked elements, since militants straddle both sides of the porous and challenging border, he clarified.

The radio noted that the Pakistani public opinion against US missile strikes by unmanned drones is high. Although the strikes have killed several top militant leaders, civilian casualties have also been claimed.

Haqqani said that the governments of US and Pakistan understand the need to deal with those who pose a threat to global peace and security, but called for understanding Islamabad's concerns on the sensitive issue of drone strikes.

“You must also understand that when you have unmanned aerial vehicles drop missiles and kill innocents, it infuriates public opinion and then obviously the Pakistani government has to stand by Pakistani public opinion.”

“I think we have a shared frustration that the Taliban and al-Qaeda move between the mountainous regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan, but we have managed to win the support of some people living in this region to fight this war,” Haqqani said in response to a question.

The diplomat also said he believes that whatever the outcome of the war against al-Qaeda, the US won't abandon Afghanistan to its own devices the way it did after the defeat of the Soviet Union in the 1980s.

“My understanding from interactions with senior officials in the United States is that the Obama administration does not wish to walk away from Afghanistan and that it understands the cost of doing so. Nobody wants a Central Asian Somalia or a failed state as a legacy,” he said.

“After all, they don't want anybody plotting and planning attacks against America sitting in Afghanistan.”

In response to a question about the reputation of the US in Pakistan, Ambassador Haqqani said: "When asked if they want the US to be a friend of Pakistan, most Pakistanis say 'yes', but they express reservations about the manner of engagement and that is something we can work upon."

"In fact, I consider that to be my job. I am trying to find a way through which we can keep the US engaged in our region and at the same time win the support and sympathy of the people in Pakistan as well as in the neighbouring region of Afghanistan.” –APP