The US recognizes Pakistan’s “significant steps” to counter terrorist groups

• According to the US, Pakistan has suffered “enormously” from terrorism.
• “We remain committed to cooperation with Pakistan,” the foreign ministry said.
• Islamabad summons US diplomat over Modi-Biden statement

The US State Department on Monday recognized Pakistan’s counter-terrorism measures as the South Asian nation criticized the United States and India over a “unilateral” statement issued following President Joe Biden’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington.

In a joint statement, the leaders of the two countries demanded that Islamabad take steps to ensure that Pakistani soil is not used for “launching terror attacks”.

At his press conference on Monday, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said America recognizes that Pakistan has taken some important steps to counter terrorist groups in line with the completion of its Financial Action Task Force action plans.

“…we remain committed to working with Pakistan to address the shared threat posed by terrorist groups across the region,” the spokesman said.

The Pakistani people have suffered greatly from terrorist attacks over the years, he stressed.

Miller said at the same time; however, the US has also been consistent that it is important that Pakistan continues to take steps to permanently disband all terrorist groups.

“And we will regularly raise the issue with Pakistani officials and continue to work together to counter mutual terrorist threats,” the spokesman added.

Pakistan lodges protest

In response to the strongly worded statement, Pakistan on Monday summoned a US diplomat to the State Department to protest.

“The Deputy Chief of the US Mission has been summoned to the State Department this evening and a demarche has been made to him regarding the Joint Statement between the US and India,” the State Department said.

The FO said Pakistan’s concern and disappointment over the “unfounded, one-sided and misleading references to it in the joint statement were conveyed to the US side”.

It was stressed that the US should refrain from making statements that could be construed as encouraging India’s baseless and politically motivated redress against Pakistan, it added.

The FO communiqué also stressed that counter-terrorism cooperation between Pakistan and the US was progressing well and that an enabling environment centered on trust and understanding was imperative to further strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Defense Minister Khawaja Asif also rejected the US-India joint statement with the latter saying that “terrorism entered Pakistan because it acted as an ally of the United States in the war on terror” .