Pakistan has opportunity to do more to combat terrorism: US

WASHINGTON: The United States (US) says Pakistan has an opportunity to do more to fight terrorism.

Speaking at a press briefing, US Department of Defense spokesperson Dana W. White said the Pentagon believed that Pakistan could do more to combat terrorism.

To a question, she said: “This is an inflection point and this is an opportunity and Pakistan has an opportunity to do more.”

She said that Pakistan had been the victim of terrorism. “So, we’ll look forward to continuing to work with them to see where there are opportunities,” she added.

When asked about the Taliban having offered for peace talks, the spokesperson said Washington’s goal was to help the Afghan Security Forces become capable enough to ensure that the violence ends.

“The Taliban has to abandon terror, it has to abandon violence and it has to support the Afghan constitution. Then, they have to come to the table. And that is, ultimately, for the people of Afghanistan to come to an ultimate political resolution,” she said.

On Feb 27,  US Army General Joseph Votel, head of the U.S. military’s Central Command, said the US is seeing some “positive indicators” from Pakistan showing it is becoming more responsive to US concerns about alleged militant safe havens in the country but Islamabad has yet to make a strategic shift.

“We are now beginning to see very positive indicators … that they are moving in the right direction,”  he said.

“It does not yet equal the decisive action that we would like to see them take in terms of a strategic shift, but they are positive indicators,” Votel told a hearing of the U.S. House of Representatives.