New Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has told his government to stop both terrorists and those fighting terrorism riding roughshod over the country.

Zardari was making his first speech to parliament since his election.

“I have a dream for Pakistan: my dream is to free this great country from the shackles of poverty, hunger, terrorism and dissunity and I know that as lawmakers you share that dream too,” he said.

Zardari then alluded to US counter-terrorist attacks on Pakistani territory:

“I ask of the government that it should be firm in its resolve not to allow the use of its soil for carrying out terrorist activities against any foreign country. We will not tolerate the violation of our sovereignty and territorial integrity by any power in the name of combatting terrorism.”

US air raids and ground assaults on reported Taliban targets in Pakistan have led to growing protest at Washington’s tactics in its so-called ‘war on terror.’

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