During a press briefing on Thursday, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that the US is a partner of Pakistan but it has no influence on any decision of the country.
This statement came in response to a question regarding the hideouts of terrorists in the border area between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Pakistan has seen a sharp rise in terrorist incidents over the past few months, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, after the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its ceasefire with Islamabad.
In light of recent events, Washington has supported Pakistan’s “right to defend itself against terrorism”, saying the country has suffered tremendously from terrorist attacks.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price reiterated US support for Pakistan’s right to self-defense against the “enduring challenge” of “terrorism emanating from Afghanistan” that has claimed the lives of many Pakistanis.
The spokesperson said that terrorism is a “threat that Pakistan itself faces” and various terrorist attacks led by militants operating in the border areas have resulted in heavy loss of precious lives.
“Of course, Pakistan has every right to defend itself. This is ultimately, in some cases, a common threat to the region, and we take that very seriously, as do our Pakistani partners,” Price said. Price said.
Asked if the US was encouraging Pakistan to take any action in this regard, Price said: “Pakistan will do what is in its interest, and when it deems appropriate based on its inherent right to self-defence.” He will take action.”
The spokesman said the presence of the militants has been an “enduring challenge” to the US, NATO and “certainly to Afghanistan’s neighbours”, who have often been the target of attacks from Afghanistan.
Price added that the United States condemns any threat of violence by the TTP or any other terrorist group.
“The United States and Pakistan actually have a common interest in ensuring that the Taliban live up to their commitments and that terrorist groups like ISIS-K, TTP, and Al-Qaeda are no longer able to pose a threat to regional security,” he added. are”.
He said that Pakistan is a close security partner with the US but would not comment on any plan or operation that Islamabad is taking or contemplating.
“In the past, the threat of terrorism from Afghanistan has posed a threat not only to Pakistan, but to the region. So these are questions for the Pakistani government. We are Pakistan’s partners, but ultimately its decisions are its decisions,” Price said. There are.” .
He concluded that the United States continues to promise to uphold its counterterrorism commitments to the Taliban and to reduce the ability of international terrorists to operate on Afghan soil.
