A top Pakistani security minister is calling for an end to US air strikes in Pakistan. Speaking just hours after taking office Tuesday, North West Frontier Province chief minister Amir Haider Hoti said the Pakistani government should negotiate directly with militant groups and stop US missile attacks against suspected al-Qaeda targets. Hoti continued, “To some extent, the interests of Pakistan have been sacrificed to the war on terror. We’ve suffered a lot.” His comments come days after a visit from two top US officials — Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte and Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher. Critics saw the trip as a US attempt to pressure Pakistan’s incoming government to maintain the close US ties of President General Pervez Musharraf.