LONDON — Cricketer turned politician Imran Khan called Thursday for the army to withdraw from Pakistan's tribal areas and for talks with the Taliban, warning that the country faced "catastrophe" otherwise.
Khan said the US-Pakistan military offensive in the areas bordering Afghanistan was turning locals massively against the United States and boosting support for the militants.
US drone strikes on militants were sparking "anger and hatred" in the area, said Khan, who leads the marginal Tehrik-e-Insaf (Movement for Justice).
"The solution is to hold a dialogue with the militants," he told an audience at the Chatham House foreign policy thinktank in London. "The solution is to win them onto our side, not to bomb them with airstrikes."
Otherwise, he warned: "If we continue with this military operation we are facing a catastrophe."
The militants operating in the tribal areas did not share the beliefs of the Afghan Taliban, who wanted to create an Islamist state, he said.
"In my opinion, they are political Taliban, they are not religious Taliban.
"They will fade away as soon as the Pakistan army moves back and dialogue is held," he added.
Khan said that Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf once described him as "a terrorist without a beard" for suggesting talks with the militants, but now it was an idea being promoted by others.
"Now even (Afghan President) Hamid Karzai considers (Taliban supreme leader) Mullah Omar to be a brother," Khan added, to laughter from the audience.
He also criticised the tactics of the US military surge in Afghanistan.
"The only way I see the surge being effective is if they use their muscle to get the Taliban to the negotiating table.
"If they use the surge for more bloodshed, I can guarantee they will leave behind -- because they will leave -- a far more radical government than the one it replaced."
A US drone strike in the lawless northwest border area Thursday targeted Pakistani Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud, officials said, although the militia denied reports that he was among 10 killed.

The Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf has branded team-mate Salman Butt "selfish" after being run out by the opener to leave the tourists in a seemingly hopeless position at the end of day two of the third Test against Australia. Butt not only ran out his captain and his team's best batsman in the last 30 minutes of play but then compounded his error by doing the same shortly after to his team's next-best batsman, Umar Akmal.
The two costly run-outs left Pakistan on 94 for four at stumps at Bellerive Oval in reply to Australia's massive first-innings total of 519 for eight declared, still needing another 226 runs to avoid the follow-on.The Australia captain, Ricky Ponting, said after the end of play he would likely enforce the follow-on given the forecast of rain for each of the last three days of this match.
"We are not playing for self, we are playing for country," said Yousuf, who also branded Butt "lazy", at the close of play. "I am 35 years old, he is 25 years old, why not take three runs?"
The Yousuf run-out occurred after the Pakistan captain had played a splendid off-drive off Doug Bollinger and, having run two, called for an easily-achievable third run. But, despite the fact it was Yousuf that was running to the danger end, Butt stood his ground at the non-striker's end, leaving his captain stranded - as he would also do later when Akmal called for a single off the bowling of Nathan Hauritz. Yousuf lingered for what seemed an eternity after the run-out as he glared at his partner before trudging from the field.
"I just stopped there and didn't say anything but I was very sad because of him," said Yousuf. "He is just 25 years old and he can't run and that is why I was just standing there."
Yousuf said Butt, who ended the day not out on 34 - and along with not-out batsman Shoaib Malik is the team's last remaining specialist batsman - now owes his team a big innings when play resumes tomorrow.
"We will try to lift him and play out the whole day tomorrow," he said of Butt. "We are not out of the match still and maybe both players can bat until tomorrow evening."
But Yousuf admitted his team faced a huge task to prevent a record 12th successive Test defeat at the hands of Australia. "It will be difficult for us to save the game now but it's a very flat wicket. And if we play for country and try to survive sessions and not go for runs then maybe we can save the game."

ISLAMABAD: Federal Health Minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin told the National Assembly on Tuesday that the swine flu vaccine would reach Pakistan within a week.

In contrast with the widely accepted medical opinion, he said, swine flu was not that harmful and could easily be cured adding sufficient medicine was available with the government to cure the virus.

“In Pakistan, the first case was detected in August 2009 and the government has taken the necessary preventive measures,” said Shahabuddin.

The health minister told the House that Tammy Flu, a curative capsule has
been distributed across the country and 50,000 capsules have been provided to Punjab, 30,000 to Sindh and 8,000 each to Balochistan and the NWFP.

He said the vaccine would reach Pakistan within one week, as only 12 companies in the world were manufacturing this preventive vaccine and supply it only to governments through the World Health Organisation, not any individual. Shahabuddin told the House that an awareness drive was being initiated to inform the general public about preventive measures.

US asked to 'review footprint in Pakistan'