'For US, India is strategic ally, Pak a hired gun'

The United States considers India as a 'strategic ally' while Pakistan is treated as a 'hired gun', cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan said on Monday as he blamed President Asif Ali Zardari for not daring to take on New Delhi for its alleged involvement in terror attacks in the country.

Khan said that Zardari does not want to 'ruffle any feathers in New Delhi' or blame India for being 'involved through Afghanistan for terrorist attacks in Pakistan'.

'He basically does what Americans want him to do. He is petrified of anything where he would get Americans upset,' Khan told his biographer Frank Huzur in an interview.

Khan noted that the Inspector General of Police of the North West Frontier Province had publicly stated that there was 'Indian hand' in a recent suicide attack in Peshawar.

'Yet Zardari did not utter a word; well, India and America (have a) strategic alliance. India is considered a long-term strategic ally while Pakistan really is a hired gun and Zardari is a hired gun, petrified of saying something. And so he (Zardari) is scared of blaming India when the other government functionaries keep saying that India is involved through Afghanistan in terrorist attacks in Pakistan,' Khan said.

Over the past few weeks, top Pakistani leaders have claimed that India is fomenting unrest in different parts of the country.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has in the past said that evidence on India's alleged role in such activities will be made public at the appropriate time. India has dismissed these allegations as baseless.

Imran, chief of the Pakistan Tekrik-e-Insaf party who recently offered to mediate between the government and militants, said he did not care if his opponents labelled him as 'pro-Taliban' or 'anti-terrorist'.

'I pity the understanding of my opponents and political adversaries. It doesn't make any difference whatever opponents think. My vision is clear. I want to see a sovereign Pakistan. The government is fighting an American war for a fistful of dollars. We are earning blood money,' he said.

'If my party comes to power, I will make sure these people are punished so that nobody ever repeats these offences. The military operations produce militants,' Khan told Huzur, whose Imran Versus Imran An Untold Story is scheduled to be published next year.

Khan also dismissed media reports about the security of Pakistans nuclear arsenal.

'New Delhi should stop worrying about such eventualities and repose faith in the gallantry of Pakistan Army to defend its precious assets. There is no threat to our nukes, either from within -- as touted in certain quarters from extremist elements -- or sympathisers of the Taliban in rank and file of the army.

'The Pakistan Army is not only moderate, it is also secular in its outlook,' he said.

He claimed there is a growing perception in the Pakistani public that the 'Indian government is fuelling militancy and encouraging terrorists a lot of suicide attacks, whereas our army and police believes Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan are carrying out these attacks. But civilians believe Indians (are behind the attacks). It is unfortunate such sentiments have set in. However, India is more popular on Pakistani streets than America today.'

Asked if India-Pakistan relations will improve in the next five to 10 years, Khan replied,