The United States has urged Pakistan to address the alleged continuing presence of the Haqqani network and other terrorist groups within its territory. The latest demand comes during the visit of the US Department of State's Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Ambassador Alice Wells, to the country from January 15-16, according to a statement released here by US Embassy Tuesday.
In her meetings with Pakistani officials, it stated that Ambassador Wells underlined that the United States seeks to move toward a new relationship with Pakistan, based on mutual interest in realizing a stable and prosperous region. Acknowledging Pakistan's considerable sacrifices fighting terrorism, Ambassador Wells emphasized that the US South Asia strategy represents an opportunity to work together for the establishment of a stable, peaceful Afghanistan, the defeat of ISIS in South Asia, and the elimination of terrorist groups that threaten both Pakistan and the United States.
"Ambassador Wells urged the government of Pakistan to address the continuing presence of the Haqqani network and other terrorist groups within its territory," the embassy further said. The visit which took place in the aftermath of US President Donald Trump's New Year tirade against Pakistan through a tweet is the latest development after days of tough statements.
According to an earlier statement of the Foreign Office on Monday, Alice Wells also conveyed the Trump administration's desire to work with Pakistan in furthering the shared objectives of stabilizing Afghanistan. However, the Foreign Office statement did not refer to the demand related to action against Haqqani network and other terror groups allegedly present within Pakistan's soil.
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