The United States is a partner of Pakistan but does not have any influence on any decisions made by the country, US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said during Thursday's press briefing. The statement came in response to a question related to the terrorist attacks in the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan and the population being affected as a result. Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in terror incidents, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, during the past couple of months after the banned outfit, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) put the truce with Islamabad to an end.

In light of the recent events, Washington has backed Pakistan's "right to defend itself from terrorism", saying that the country has suffered tremendously from terrorist attacks.US State Dept Spokesperson Ned Price reiterated US' support for Pakistan's right to self-defence against the "enduring challenge" of terrorism "emanating from Afghanistan" that took many Pakistani lives.The spokesperson said that terrorism is a "threat that Pakistan itself faces" and has suffered huge losses in terms of precious lives in various terrorist attacks led by militants operating in the border regions. "Of course, Pakistan has every right to defend itself. This is ultimately, in some cases, a shared threat to the region, and it’s one we take very seriously, as do our Pakistani partners, of course," Price said.

When asked whether the US is encouraging Pakistan to take any action in this regard, Price said: "Pakistan will do what’s in its self-interest, and it will take action when it deems appropriate based on the inherent right of self-defense". The spokesperson said that the presence of militants has been an "enduring challenge" for the US, NATO and "certainly for Afghanistan’s neighbours, who have most frequently been the victims of attacks that have emanated from Afghanistan". Price further stated that US condemns any threat of violence from TTP or any other terrorist group. "US and Pakistan do indeed have a shared interest in ensuring that the Taliban live up to the commitments and that terrorist groups like ISIS-K, like the TTP, like Al-Qaeda are no longer able to threaten regional security," he added.

He said that Pakistan is a close security partner with US but he will not comment on any plans or operations Islamabad may be taking or contemplating. "The terrorist threat emanating from Afghanistan has in the past not only presented a threat to Pakistan but to the region. So these are questions for the Pakistani government. We are a partner to Pakistan, but ultimately its decisions are its decisions," Price said. The US continues to call on the Taliban to uphold the counterterrorism commitments and pledges to curtail the ability of international terrorists to be able to operate on Afghan soil, he concluded.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-INP