US Senator Dianne Feinstein has stressed the need for continued cooperation between Pakistan and the US to deal with the emerging threat of Daesh or the self-styled Islamic State (IS) militant organisation.
Continuing his intense engagements on the Capitol Hill, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi held separate meetings with Senators Dianne Feinstein of California and Robert Casey from Pennsylvania, according to a statement by the Foreign Office.
During the meeting between Senator Feinstein, who is a senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Fatemi, the two sides reviewed the state of play in the relationship with special focus on defence and intelligence cooperation between the respective authorities and expressed satisfaction on the growing momentum in this vital cooperation.
Fatemi shared the recent achievements in Pakistan’s fight against terrorism following the ongoing military operations in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), which has entered a critical phase. He explained that due to the successful operations of the Pakistani security forces, militants’ command and control infrastructure had been completely destroyed.
He stressed that these operations had significantly diminished the ability of terrorists to plan and conduct attacks inside Pakistan or across the border. He informed the senator that arrangements were being made to completely secure the Pakistani territory from militants’ through holding the gains in FATA and establishing the civilian set up in the area.
The Senator was also informed about the plans to rehabilitate the dislocated people from Waziristan.
Senator Feinstein noted Pakistan’s efforts to eliminate terrorism and stabilise the region.
In the meeting between Tariq Fatemi and US Senator Robert Casey, who is a senior member of the Committee on Finance as well as the Joint Economic Committee, the two sides discussed the recent developments in the bilateral relationship and other issues of mutual interest.
Senator Casey noted the steps taken by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to reach out to Pakistan’s neighbours, as well reviving the economy.
Lauding the commitment of the government and people of Pakistan to eliminate terrorism, Senator Casey praised Pakistan’s positive role in facilitating the reconciliation process for stability in Afghanistan.
