Lahore, Apr. 9 : Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has said that the United States has promised not to extend the drone strikes to Balochistan.

In an interview with The Daily Times, Zardari said the Pakistan government has communicated its discontent over Washington's plan to carry out missile strikes against terror hideouts in Balochistan, replying to which the US had assured that it would not target the new region.

Zardari hoped that Balochistan's problem would be solved by the year end.

Zardari said the number of `missing people'in Balochistan were neither in the thousands nor in the hundreds.

"There are a few people, and they would be released after the due process of law," he added.

Commenting on the heightened tension between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Mumbai terror attack, Zardari blamed New Delhi for replying negatively to Islamabad's bold peace proposals.

He expressed hope that the stalled peace talks between the two countries would resume after general elections in India.

Zardari also expressed concern over the thirty percent increase in the Indian defence budget. (ANI)