Jan. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Pakistan's Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz today starts a week-long visit to the U.S., where he is set to meet President George W. Bush, as the allies in the war on terrorism seek to mend ties strained by a U.S. bombing raid.

The Jan. 13 attack by U.S. forces deployed in Afghanistan on a suspected al-Qaeda terrorist hideout in Pakistan's tribal region was ``an unfortunate event that cannot be condoned,'' Aziz said yesterday in Islamabad.

The bombing ``clouds the prospects of what would have been a routine and very good visit by Aziz,'' said Ishtiaq Ahmed, an associate professor of international relations at Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad. The attack ``shows the U.S. has started acting on what was a perception earlier that Pakistan wasn't doing enough to catch terrorists.''

Aziz's visit, his first official trip to the U.S. in 18 months since he became prime minister, follows the attack on the northwestern tribal region of Bajur close to the border with Afghanistan. Pakistan condemned the raid that killed 18 people and lodged a protest with the U.S. Aziz is scheduled to meet Bush Jan. 24.

The U.S. government hasn't given any details of the missile strike on the village of Damadola, which Pakistani intelligence officials said was an attempt to target Ayman al-Zawahiri, the number two leader of the al-Qaeda terrorist network.

Four or five non-Pakistani terrorists were killed in the incident, the Associated Press cited the administration in the tribal region as saying yesterday. Their bodies were taken away by their companions, according to the administration, AP said.

War on Terrorism

Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf has supported the U.S.-led war on terrorism with security forces arresting more than 600 suspected terrorists in the country since 2001. Pakistan's army has been fighting insurgents linked to al-Qaeda and neighboring Afghanistan's ousted Taliban regime in the northwestern tribal region since October 2003.

The U.S. in 2003 designated Pakistan a major ally outside the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as a reward for providing intelligence and logistic support to U.S. forces during the 2001 campaign to oust the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

Aziz told reporters yesterday that he would press ahead with the visit as it was key to attracting overseas investment in a country where one third of the 160 million population lives in poverty, or on less than $1 a day, according to the World Bank.

Pakistan-U.S. ties ``are longstanding and communication links must not be stopped,'' Aziz said. ``The purpose of my visit is to engage with the U.S. on various issues.''

Repairing Ties

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Jan. 16 the U.S. will work to address concerns in Pakistan after the air strike sparked countrywide protests. Nicholas Burns, the U.S. under secretary for political affairs, plans to visit Pakistan next week, the State Department said on Jan. 13.

Rice said she didn't have any information on whether the air strike was aimed at al-Zawahiri.

Pakistan is a valuable ally in the war on terrorism, U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said yesterday at a briefing in Washington. An atmosphere of cooperation and good relations remains in meetings between U.S. and Pakistani government officials, he said.

``President Musharraf and the United States understand the threat posed by al-Qaeda and its affiliates,'' McCormack said, according to a transcript. ``The greatest threat to Pakistan and to Pakistan's democratic and more prosperous future are these terrorists.''

Aziz Meetings

During his visit, Aziz will meet the business community and corporate leaders in the U.S., Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said on Jan. 14. Aziz will also meet senior U.S. administration officials and Congressmen.

The visit is part of regular exchanges on a range of issues between Pakistan and the U.S., the ministry said.

Pakistan will seek greater access to U.S. markets for exports such as textiles, Quaid-i-Azam University's Ahmed said.

Aziz will also try to convince U.S. investors to invest more in the South Asian nation, which forecast its $100 billion economy will expand about 7 percent in the fiscal year to June 30 from 8.4 percent last year.

The government has also been seeking to sign a free trade agreement with the U.S. following the Trade and Investment Framework agreed between the two countries in 2003.

The U.S. canceled about $1.5 billion of debt owed by Pakistan after the South Asian country supported the U.S. war on terrorism following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in Washington and New York that the U.S. blamed on Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network. In 2003, Bush announced a $3 billion aid package to Pakistan.

To contact the reporter on this story: Khalid Qayum in Islamabad at kqayum@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: January 17, 2006 23:29 EST