US defence secretary is coming to Pakistan with a hard stance
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ISLAMABAD: Pentagon Chief James Mattis is coming with a tough message for Pakistan after the United States offered some concessions to Pakistan last month, but Islamabad has yet to demonstrate change in its policy.
US have communicated specific steps to Pakistan for action against militant groups and for reconciliation between Taliban and Afghan government.
Mattis who is arriving here tomorrow (Monday) will hold talks with Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Bajwa amidst heightened tensions between the two countries after the recent release of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Mohammad Saeed.
“US congresses has delinked Let from Haqqani Network and also approved reimbursement of up to $700 million in Coalition Support Fund (CSF) for Pakistan last month in a show of olive branch to the country after a strong policy speech by President Trump in August this year while announcing new US Strategy for South Asia,” a diplomatic source said.
However, the source said Mattis is coming to Pakistan to seek Pakistan’s concrete response to US demands for action against militant groups.
“We have made clear our expectation for decisive action against terrorist and militant groups that operate from Pakistani soil. We have communicated specific steps that Pakistan can take to degrade these groups’ operational activities and to facilitate substantive peace talks between the Taliban and the Government of Afghanistan,” a state department spokesperson told The News in an email response from Washington.
The spokesperson acknowledged that “Pakistan has suffered greatly from terrorism and has made some very important counter-terrorism contributions, including against the al-Qaida network and ISIS” but added that insecurity in Pakistan is a threat to the country’s own stability and to the region, and Pakistan has an opportunity to show that it is serious about delegitimizing, disrupting, and dismantling terrorist networks that threaten its neighbors.
“Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with our efforts in the region. Our continued engagement on these issues remains critical,” state department spokesman told The News.
When asked what specific measures Washington is expecting from Pakistan, the spokesperson said as the President stated, “We must stop the resurgence of safe havens that enable terrorists to threaten America.” “We expect Pakistan to take the steps necessary to eliminate these safe havens. I am not going to go into specifics about measures we might take should Pakistan fail to do so.”
