Showing posts with label US-PAKISTAN RELATIONS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label US-PAKISTAN RELATIONS. Show all posts

Thursday, 11 January 2018

US hopes Pakistan would 'do the right thing' and 'turn over terrorists'

Pakistan

The United States on Friday expressed hope that Pakistan would do the right thing and "turn over" the terrorists and honour its commitment to it, according to a Trump administration official.
"I have a feeling, I am hopeful that Pakistan will do the right thing and turn over the terrorists and honour their commitment," Steven Goldstein, the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs told reporters at a news conference here.

Responding to questions, Goldstein said the US has so far not heard from Pakistan on its reported decision to suspend its military and intelligence cooperation with it in retaliation of the Trump administration's decision to freeze all its security assistance.

"We would hope that Pakistan would come to the table and that they would turn over those terrorists that we have asked be turned over. We've indicated very clearly that we believe that can happen," Goldstein said.
The United States, he said, has only suspended the aid; and the money has not been reallocated.
"So now it is the job of Pakistan to take seriously their commitment to us, and most importantly to the people of Pakistan who would most be hurt by this, by any terrorist activity, and come forward.

So, our position hasn't changed. They have not yet come forward," Goldstein said.
At a separate news conference, the Pentagon said that Pakistan has the ability to address terrorist threat inside the country,.
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Saturday, 7 October 2017

Tillerson, Mattis to visit Pakistan to drill home Trump's message on terror

President Donald Trump. Photo: PTI

President Donald Trump will dispatch his top diplomatic and military advisers to Pakistan in the coming weeks, turning up the heat on a nuclear-armed ally accused of harbouring terror groups.

Weeks after Trump angrily accused Islamabad of providing safe haven to "agents of chaos," Secretary of State Rex Tillerson plans to depart for Pakistan late this month.

He will be followed by Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis, according to US and Pakistani sources.

The one-two punch is designed to drill home Trump's message that Pakistani state support for jihadist groups has to end, according to officials briefed on the visits.

Washington has long been frustrated by Pakistan's willingness to offer cross-border safe havens to Taliban factions and armed Islamist groups fighting US troops and their Afghan allies.