Terrorism inside Pakistan a high US priority

WASHINGTON - Addressing terrorism that exists inside Pakistan remains a high priority for Washington, a senior US official has said asserting that its pressure on a key ally to do more is not relaxing.

“I wouldn’t say that our pressure is relaxing,” Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affair Robert Blake said in a telephone conference call with journalists in South Asia Wednesday.

“I think it remains a very high priority for us and for the Pakistani government to address the terrorism that exists inside Pakistan,” he said in response to a question from India.

Recalling President Barack Obama’s remarks during his visit to India last month that no country in the world has suffered more from terrorism than Pakistan itself, Blake said: “But he also remarked that Pakistan needs to do more.”

“That there has been progress in places like Swat and South Waziristan, but that Pakistan needs to sustain those efforts now in order to work with the United States to help eliminate the terrorist networks that exist, particularly on the Afghanistan and Pakistan border.”

Obama, he noted, “also spoke about how it’s in India’s interests as well to work with the United States and other concerned nations to help stabilise Pakistan, because having a stable and prosperous Pakistan will be a great benefit to India as it becomes an increasingly influential player on the global stage.”

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)