New York, Oct.30 (ANI): While using her three-day Pakistan tour to try to allay the widespread anti-US sentiments prevalent in the country, US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton also made it a point to reprimand Islamabad over its numerous fallacies.

The way Clinton underlined that it was hard to believe that the Pakistan government has no idea about Al-Qaeda leadership’s whereabouts, suggests the US’ frustration over that government’s denial regarding the presence of terror safe haven inside its geographical boundary.

“I find it hard to believe that nobody in your government knows where they are, and couldn’t get to them if they really wanted to. Maybe that’s the case; maybe they’re not gettable. I don’t know,” Clinton told media persons in Lahore.

This was the first instance when an official of Clinton’s rank has publicly told the Gilani government what was being said in a ‘covert’ manner for long.

“Clinton’s comments also gave voice to the longtime frustration of American officials with what they see as the Pakistani government’s lack of resolve in rooting out not only Al Qaeda, but also the Taliban leadership based in Quetta,” a report in the New York Times said.

On the second day of her visit, Clinton not only voiced concerns over Islamabad’s laid back attitude regarding the terror issue, but she also pointed towards various matters such as the poor tax collection and the ever increasing population.

“We have to decide if we want to move beyond the past in your country and in our country. We are now at a point where we can chart a different course,” the top US diplomat said.

Clinton also met students at the Government College University in Lahore, where she was confronted with a volley of queries pertaining to Washington’s intentions.

At the university, a young man stressed that Obama had failed to fix policies on Iraq or Afghanistan, and told Clinton that the United States was forcing Pakistan into a ruinous war.

Clinton countered the student saying that the decision to fight the militants was taken only after all attempts to sort out the issue failed.

“Slowly, but insidiously, you were losing territory. If you want to see your territory shrink, that’s your choice. But I don’t think that’s the right choice,” she remarked.

Later in the day, during a roundtable session with some of the corporate honchos of the country, Clinton bluntly told them the country needed to do a better job of collecting taxes and taking care of its poor.

“When you ask for a partnership, you have to ask what Pakistan’s equity stake is,” she said. (ANI)