Pakistan reacts sharply to Congress bill

WASHINGTON: Pakistan reacted sharply to the bill introduced by two top US lawmakers in the House of Representatives, and reasserted that Pakistan has been fighting terrorism against al-Qaeda and other groups for the past 16 years.

“To escape this fact is to deliberately blind oneself from the truth,” a statement issued from the embassy here read.

“Al-Qaeda declared Pakistan as an enemy and is responsible for many heinous terrorist acts inside the country. Through its concerted CT actions, Pakistan dealt a strong blow to al-Qaeda by killing and arresting its leaders and hundreds of other operatives.”

The statement further said, “Pakistan’s fight against terrorism has continued despite a staggering human and financial cost. As a result of Pakistan’s sustained effort to defeat terrorism, the internal security situation inside the country has improved significantly leading to economic revival.” 

It added, “Pakistan's counter terrorism actions and the successes remain un-paralleled at a time when many other regions continue to grapple with continued challenges. These efforts continue in the form of operation ‘Rad ul Fasad’ where terrorists, their facilitators and regional support networks, operating from neighboring countries, are being indiscriminately targeted.”