Thaindian News

Islamabad, June 11 (IANS) Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director Leon Panetta has held meetings here with Pakistan Army chief Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha during which both sides discussed the framework for future intelligence sharing, a media report said.

During Panetta’s ongoing visit to the country, the two sides also discussed defence relations between the two countries, counter-terrorism efforts, security issues in the region and other regional and international issues, the Urdu daily Jang reported.

Panetta, nominated to take over as defence secretary next month, arrived in Pakistan Friday in an unannounced visit, his first trip since a secret US raid that killed al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden May 2 and severely damaged ties between the allies.

The CIA director also told Kayani and Pasha that he was concerned about a reduction of US troops allowed in the country, but was bluntly told no American boots would be allowed on the ground, said Pakistani military officials.

The army on Thursday announced it had drastically cut down on the number of US troops allowed in the country and set clear limits on intelligence sharing with the United States.

“He (Panetta) expressed concerns over the reduction of trainers and operatives. We told him very clearly ‘no boots on our soil is acceptable’,” said a Pakistani military official.