Pakistan Calls For 'Permanent Solution' On U.S. Drone Strikes

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has called on the United States to help find a "permanent solution" to U.S. drones strikes inside Pakistan that have fueled tensions between Islamabad and Washington.

A Pakistani presidential spokesman said Zardari made the appeal during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary in Chicago on the sidelines of the NATO summit.

More on the NATO summit in Chicago

Zadari also called for the United States to do more to make amends for the deaths of 24 Pakistani soldiers killed in November by NATO aircraft along the border with Afghanistan. Pakistan has demanded a high-level apology for the deaths.

But the White House has so far declined to offer one, instead saying both sides made mistakes.

The incident prompted Pakistan to close land supply routes into Afghanistan, complicating NATO's mission in Afghanistan.

Based on reporting by Reuters