In Islamabad, it was confirmed in a statement from a US diplomatic missionon Wednesday that the United States has made a commitment to supportPakistan’s efforts to combat cross-border infiltration and militancy in thenorthwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province.
This support includes a $250,000 program to enhance the nighttimecapabilities of the Frontier Corps and the provision of $350,000 worth ofsafety equipment for counterterrorism activities. This commitment comes ata time when Pakistan is facing an increase in militancy, particularly inthe KP region bordering Afghanistan, following the return of the AfghanTaliban to power in August 2021 and the breakdown of a fragile truce withthe Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in November of the previous year.
Pakistani officials have repeatedly expressed concerns about militantsusing Afghan territory to launch attacks in Pakistan, although the Afghanadministration denies these allegations. During a visit to Peshawar onSeptember 25-26, US Deputy Chief of Mission Andrew Schofer reaffirmed theUS commitment to border security and support for Pakistan’s efforts inKhyber Pakhtunkhwa.
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During this visit, Schofer announced the new $250,000 program to enhancethe Frontier Corps’ nighttime operational capabilities while alsodelivering $350,000 worth of safety and security equipment to improve theeffectiveness of police forces engaged in risky counterterrorism operations.
