Washinton, Apr. 3: The Unites States is certainly worried by the increasing influence of Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) on the government, with a top Pentagon official saying that Washington is keeping a close watch on the issue and is trying to reduce the cooperation between the ISI and the Pak Army.

Addressing a Senate meeting, the US Undersecretary of Defence for Policy Michele Flournoy said that the elements of ISI present inside the Pak government was preventing the government and the military from cooperating in the US led ‘War on Terror’ in the region.

“I think ISI is or parts of ISI are certainly a problem to be dealt with,” The Dawn quoted Flournoy, as saying.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief General David Petraeus, who was also present in the meeting, said that Pakistan’s history has a clear mention about the government’s connection with its prime intelligence authority.

“There is history there. Pakistan will quote that history to you in the first paragraph of any conversation,” General Petraeus said.

He also expressed serious concerns on ISI’s links with outlawed terror outfits.

“There have been examples of Pakistani intelligence officials passing on information to the militants,” General Petraeus added.

He also highlighted that there is a trust deficit between both the countries despite years of assistance, and stressed on the need of shift of focus from India to the western border by Pakistan.

“Pakistan needs to change its threat perception, which is right now focused on India and needs to be refocused on the western border where the Taliban and al-Qaeda activists operate,” Petraeus said.

General Petraeus warned that if Pakistan continues to ignore the threat perception by the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, it would probably result in its own downfall.

“It’ll grow, and certainly cause bigger problems regionally and, potentially, globally,” he added. (ANI)