WASHINGTON — The United States said Sunday it was pressing Pakistan to move against Taliban and Al-Qaeda sanctuaries in its territory, saying success in Afghanistan depended on disrupting the cross-border safe havens.

Senior administration officials turned the focus on Pakistan in a series of television talk shows, after pouring pressure on Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai to clean up corruption in his country as part of a US strategy shift.

"I have to say that corruption is critical to our success, but it's not the governing issue in this war," special US envoy Richard Holbrooke said in an interview on CNN.

"To me the most important issue for our success is dealing with the sanctuary in Pakistan."

Although Pakistan is central to US strategy for the region, Washington has had a tough time dealing with a skittish military and political establishment in Islamabad that is wary of Washington's goals in neighboring Afghanistan.

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