The United States has said in a statement by a top American diplomat on the need to deny militant sanctuaries in Pakistani tribal areas signifies continuing counterterrorism cooperation between the two countries.
A State Department spokesperson defended the continuing counterterrorism cooperation at the daily briefing, when a reporter questioned its effectiveness in the light of the statement by US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns.
“These are issues where we have worked closely on with the Pakistani
government, where we may have shared concerns on, including counterterrorism efforts and cooperation on that front. So it just indicates a continuing partnership with Pakistan and a commitment to working closely on these issues, Spokesperson Jen Psaki said.
Her remarks referred to Burns statement on the conclusion of his visit to Islamabad in which he acknowledged Pakistan’s sacrifices but urged the need to curb cross-border militancy and deny militant sanctuaries along the Afghan border. “So we appreciate the efforts, but obviously this is an issue we’ll continue to work on,” Psaki remarked.
