WASHINGTON: The United States has lauded Pakistan’s continued efforts to combat terrorism and terrorist organisations, urging the two governments in Islamabad and Kabul to work together to address any security concerns.
Addressing a weekly media briefing in Washington, acting spokesperson for US State Department Mark Toner asked the two neighbouring countries to join their efforts against the menace of terrorism.
However, he claimed that terrorists from Pakistan were “conducting attacks in Afghanistan”.
“We’ve been very clear, while we understand that Pakistan has made efforts to confront terrorism and terrorist organisations on its own soil, that there are still what we call safe havens that exist for terrorist groups to operate from and carry strikes out on Afghanistan. That’s a problem,” he added.
Toner went on to say that it was “in Pakistan’s interest to work constructively with Afghanistan to address those security concerns”. Pakistan on several occasions has reiterated that stability in Afghanistan is in its interest and that peace in the war-torn country was a top priority for Islamabad.
However, the government in Kabul has always accused Islamabad of supporting terrorists to create unrest in its territory.
