US-Canadian couple held in Pakistan for five years: CIA chief

WASHINGTON: The head of the CIA said on Thursday a US-Canadian couple kidnapped by militants in Afghanistan were held inside Pakistan for five years before being freed.

"We had a great outcome last week when we were able to get back four US citizens who had been held for five years inside Pakistan," CIA Director Mike Pompeo told the Foundation for Defence of Democracies think tank in Washington.

Pompeo’s remarks appeared to be the first time a US official has publicly stated that the couple and their children spent their captivity in Pakistan, contrary to accounts from Pakistani officials.

Pakistan’s military and government have said that US citizen Caitlan Coleman, her Canadian husband Joshua Boyle and their children were rescued shortly after entering Pakistan from Afghanistan.

The couple were kidnapped in 2012 while backpacking in Afghanistan and their children were born in captivity. A senior Pakistani security source said last Friday that Pakistani troops and intelligence agents, acting on a US intelligence tip, zeroed in on a vehicle carrying the family as they were being moved into the Kurram tribal region near the town of Kohat.Pakistani officials bristle at US claims Islamabad is not doing enough to tackle militants, particularly the Haqqanis.

After the release of the family, Pakistani officials emphasised the importance of co-operation and intelligence sharing by Washington, which has threatened to cut military aid and take other punitive measures against Pakistan.

However, two Taliban sources with knowledge of the family´s captivity said they had been kept in Pakistan in recent years. As part of a strategy unveiled in August to end the war in Afghanistan, the Trump administration is demanding Pakistan cease providing what US officials say is safe haven to militants, or face repercussions.

Those measures could include further cuts in US assistance and sanctions targeted at Pakistani officials with links to militant organisations.

Pompeo´s remarks came ahead of a visit to Pakistan next week by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who said on Wednesday the United States expected Pakistan "to take decisive action against terrorist groups.”

"A senior Trump administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Thursday the United States considers the family’s rescue a "template for more cooperation" by Pakistan.