WASHINGTON: The US has not seen a“decisive and sustained” change in thebehaviour of Pakistan , even after the Trump Administration announced a $2billion security assistance freeze to Islamabad nearly two months ago, asenior American official said on Tuesday.
“We’ve not seen decisive and sustained changes yet in Pakistan’s behaviour,but certainly we are continuing toengage with Pakistan link> over areas wherewe think they can play a helpful role in changing the calculus of theTaliban,” said Alice Wells, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Statefor Alice South and Central Asia.
Briefing reporters on the just concluded Kabul conference in Afghanistan,Wells said Pakistan link> has a veryimportant role to play in the Afghan peace process.
“We believe that Pakistan link> cancertainly help to facilitate talks and to take actions that will putpressure on and encourage the Taliban to move forward towards a politicallynegotiated settlement,” Wells said in response to a question.
“And our engagement with Pakistan link>is onhow we can work together, on how we can address Pakistan’s legitimateconcerns and Afghanistan’s stability through a negotiated process as well,”she said.
“Pakistani officials have underscored, they see a variety of issues,whether it’s border management or refugees or terrorism that emanates fromungoverned space in Afghanistan, as important issues, and we would agreethat all of these need to be resolved during the course of a reconciliationprocess,” Wells said.
Pakistan has concerns over border management; over the Tehrik-i-Taliban;Pakistan’s presence in ungoverned space in Afghanistan; refugee concerns,she said.
Noting that the Afghanistan-Pakistan relationship is quite important, shesaid the US link> is supportive of the efforts toimprove the bilateral relationship.
The two countries have exchanged visits over the last several months toestablish a framework agreement, to enhance the bilateral relationship.
“We support that and think it’s important,” she said. The TrumpAdministration, she said, believes that theintensified efforts under theSouth Asia strategy to put military pressure on the Taliban is important,thatthese military efforts help shape the conditions for talks and help tounderscore that there is no military victory for the Taliban, thatultimately there legitimate grievances will have to be addressed at anegotiating table.
“We’d like to see them come to this table sooner ratherb then later,” shesaid. – Agencies