Updated on Wednesday, March 14, 2007, 00:00 IST

Washington, March 14: US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has said continuous al-Qaeda and the Taliban activities on the Pakistani side of the Pak-Afghan border is a matter of concern and that Washington is working with Islamabad to deal with the problem.

"There clearly is a problem along the Pakistani border and the Taliban and al Qaeda are both using some of the wild areas on the Pakistani side of the border as havens. Now, we're working with the Pakistanis to try and deal with that problem" Gates said in an interview.

"I don't have the impression that other nations are providing much support to al Qaeda. I think that individuals do and they have a variety of fronts and other ways that they get money. Similarly, I think the Taliban are pretty much on their own, nobody much liked their governance in Afghanistan" he said in an interview to the pentagon channel.

Meanwhile chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, General Peter Pace argued that it is proper for the United States to point out to Pakistan of the problem along the border with Afghanistan.

"It is proper for us to point out to President Musharraf that people are continuing to come across the border," Pace told the Chicago Tribune.

Bureau Report