US asks Pakistan to act against militants who target its neighbours

WASHINGTON: The US has said that its focus with Pakistan is to enhance their capability and to deal with terrorist threats on their soil, believing that Pakistan is fighting a serious and sustained campaign against violent extremism.

“We do believe that they are making progress and taking steps to counter terrorist violence, but at the same time we have been very clear that they need to target all militant groups, including those that target Pakistan’s neighbours, and close all safe havens,” State Department’s deputy spokesperson Mark Toner said on Monday.

Toner reiterated that it is the longstanding American position that US believes India and Pakistan really stand to benefit fromnormalisation of relations. “We encourage both India and Pakistan to pursue and engage in direct dialogue that is aimed at reducing tensions,” he said. “We have long said that with regard to Pakistan, with regard to India, with regard to the region, there is no zero-sum game here. We are pursuing very close relations with India,” he added.

Comparing the country’s relationship with the two rival nations, Toner said the US has a deep and broad bilateral relationship and multilateral relationship, or work our multilateral issues with India. “Similarly, we want to see Pakistan better able to respond to the threat that terrorism poses and terrorist groups that seek refuge in its territory,” Toner said.

Answering a question about a petition being signed on the White House website to declare Pakistan a state sponsor, he said that such “specific process and determination” involves a legal process and assessment.