ISLAMABAD, Feb 26: During a surprise visit on Monday, US Vice-President Dick Cheney conveyed US apprehensions to President Pervez Musharraf about “regrouping of Al Qaeda in the tribal areas of Pakistan” and called for concerted efforts to counter the threat.

President Musharraf told Mr Cheney that Pakistan had done the maximum in the fight against terrorism and that joint efforts were needed for achieving desired results, said an official press release issued after more than two hours of talks between them.

The US vice-president arrived unannounced, coinciding with the arrival of British Foreign Secretary Margaret Becket. Their visits were heralded by constant hovering of US Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters over Islamabad which alarmed the people.

Intelligence about an impending Taliban and Al Qaeda ‘spring offensive’ in Afghanistan was causing concern to allied forces there, said the US leader.

He appreciated Pakistan's pivotal role in the fight against terrorism and said that sustainable and mutually-beneficial multi-faceted ties should be further augmented.

President Musharraf said that the international community was collectively responsible for defeating the scourge of terrorism and curbing militant activities in Afghanistan.

He expressed concern over the proposed discriminatory legislation regarding US aid to Pakistan and stressed the need for removing misperceptions being created by the western media about the country's vital efforts in the fight against terrorism.

The president emphasised that most of the Taliban activities originated from Afghanistan and the solution to the issue lay within that country.

He said Pakistan was a victim of the spillover of Taliban influence in Fata and Afghan refugee camps in Balochistan.

He stressed that Pakistan, Afghanistan, US forces, Nato and Isaf would have to shoulder the joint responsibility of stopping illegal crossings along the over 2,400km-long border in an inhospitable terrain.

He said Pakistan had deployed over 80,000 troops and set up 1,000 checkposts along the porous border in contrast to only 100 posts on the Afghan side.

About the peace agreement with tribal elders in North Waziristan, President Musharraf said it was a way forward.

He said political and administrative steps taken in the tribal areas would help curb Al Qaeda and Taliban activities and prevent any Talibanisation in the area.

He stressed the need for weaning away the majority of moderates from the militants and that could be achieved only through intensified economic activities coupled with strong administrative and political measures.

He called for swift establishment of Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs) in Fata to generate more economic activity for job creation and poverty reduction “which will strike at the core of extremism and terrorism”.