The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has no plans to suspend “operations” in Pakistan against terror suspects despite objections, a US official said on Thursday.

Pakistan has criticized missile strikes by US drone aircraft against militants in the country but CIA Director Leon Panetta has told intelligence officials that he has a duty to prevent attacks on the United States, the senior official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.

“Panetta has been clear with his Pakistani counterparts that his fundamental responsibility is to protect the American people, and he will not halt operations that support that objective,” the official said.

The CIA chief on Monday held several hours of talks at the agency’s headquarters outside Washington with Lieutenant General Ahmad Shuja Pasha, the head of Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI).