Lahore, Apr. 16 : US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief General David Petraeus, has said that the presence of extremists outfits such as Al Qaeda on Pakistan's soil pose `an ever more serious threat to its very existence'.

In an interview to the Philadelphia Inquirer, General Petraeus said the US policy's prime focus was on Afghanistan and Pakistan, because of the presence Al-Qaeda in the tribal regions of Pakistan.

When enquired as to why the Obama Administration has decided to send in more troops to Afghanistan when it considers the real threat lying in Pakistan, General Petraeus said America does not want Al-Qaeda to once again establish its safe havens in the country.

"You have to ensure that Afghanistan doesn't become once again a place where Al Qaeda establishes safe havens," The Daily Times quoted General Petraeus, as saying.

He noted that the majority of the problem in Afghanistan lies only in its ten percent of the area.

"Seventy percent of the violence is in 10 percent of the districts. The surge of 17,000 troops would be enough. Afghanistan is not plagued by a raging insurgency throughout the country, as was the case in Iraq," General Petraeus said. (ANI)