A senior US official says Pakistan should push members of the Haqqanimilitant network across the border with Afghanistan rather than kill orcapture them.
“They don’t have to arrest them or kill them … just get them intoAfghanistan, disrupt some of the infrastructure that exists, make it harderfor them,” Reuters quoted an unnamed senior US official as saying on Friday.
However, the official did not elaborate on how the US would guarantee thatthe militants who could be arrested or killed in Pakistan will beneutralized after eviction from the country.
The comments made by the top US official came a month after US PresidentDonald Trump ordered major cuts in military aid to Pakistan over whatWashington views as Islamabad’s failure to crack down on militants. The aidcuts angered Pakistan and triggered multiple anti-US protests across thecountry.
Washington has long accused Islamabad of allowing the Haqqani network,which is an affiliate of the Taliban militant group, to operate relativelyfreely in Pakistan’s porous border regions to carry out operations inAfghanistan.
Islamabad, however, denies the accusations, saying the White House isoverlooking Pakistan’s sacrifices in its fight against terrorism. Itfurther rejects allegations that it sponsors Taliban militants battling USforces in neighboring Afghanistan, and insists that Islamabad is doing allit can to combat regional militancy.
The US official added that since the aid suspension – which US officialslater said could affect as much as about $2 billion – Washington has notseen any sustained effort on the part of Pakistan against the militants.
The official also dismissed suggestions that pressure from Washington maybackfire, saying Islamabad might start by taking smaller, tactical steps,including forcing such outfits into Afghanistan before the spring fightingseason begins.
“I don’t think Pakistan is feeling its oats. I think it’s feeling pressure.We have their attention,” the official said, adding, “We are about twomonths away from the fighting season, so now is the time to do some ofthis.”
In a February 13 statement to Congress, US Director of NationalIntelligence Dan Coats said Islamabad would maintain “its ties withmilitant groups, restricting counter-terrorism cooperation” with Washington.