US stands 'shoulder-to-shoulder' with Pakistan in combating terrorism

WASHINGTON: Amid growing acts of terrorism in Pakistan, the United States has reaffirmed it’s commitment to stand “shoulder to shoulder” with the South Asian country in fighting the menace, ARY News reported quoting the State Department.

“The United States and Pakistan have a shared interest in combating threats to regional security, and we will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with Pakistan in its fight against terrorism, ” State Department Spokesperson Mathew Miller told his daily news briefing on Tuesday.

He was responding to a question from the correspondent of a private Pakistani TV channel about last week’s series of deadly attacks in Balochistan in which more than 70 people were killed, including 23 in Musakhail where armed men offloaded passengers from buses and trucks and shot at them after checking their identities.

“The Pakistani people have suffered greatly at the hands of violent extremist terrorists and our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of those killed,” Miller said while decrying those attacks.

“The United States strongly condemns last week’s deadly attacks that targeted security officials and civilians, including the murder of 23 innocent civilians in Musakhail,” he added.

Responding to a question about Iran’s warning to Pakistan to complete the pipeline project and the threat of $18 billion fine, Miller said that the US would continue to impose sanctions on Iran and advised anyone against considering deals with the country.

“And as a matter of course, we also advise anyone considering business deals with Iran to be aware of the potential ramifications,”  the spokesperson said.

“At the same time,” he added, “helping Pakistan address its energy shortage is a priority for the United States, and we continue to discuss energy security with the Government of Pakistan.”