During a daily media briefing on Thursday, the US State Department deputy spokesperson Mark Toner said, “Pakistan needs to address all groups operating on their soil – Taliban groups that are operating on their soil and their territory. We have urged them to do so in the past. We continue to urge them to do so and have worked with them on addressing the very real threat on their own soil.”
Must Read: Drone strikes in Pakistan are detrimental to Pak-US relations: Gen Sharif
The US State Department deputy spokesperson was of the view it was an ongoing conversation that the US had with the Pakistani authorities.
“The action against the Afghan Taliban Chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour was predicated on the fact that we believed he was going to carry out lethal attacks on the US servicemen and women in the field as well as against Afghan forces. That was the clear and pressing, imminent threat that we were addressing by removing him from the battlefield. But, we also hope that it sent a clear signal to the Taliban that really peace and reconciliation is their only option,” Toner said.
Must Read: Pakistan confirms Mullah Mansour’s death in drone strike
On May 21st, Mullah Mansour was killed in a targeted US drone strike while he was crossing into Pakistan from Iran through Balochistan. The Afghan Taliban have appointed Mullah Haibatullah Akhunzada as their new chief.
Meanwhile, Toner has also urged Pakistani Government to cooperate with the Indian authorities to fully investigate the Mumbai terrorist attacks.
