As a stalwart partner in the fight against terrorism, the United States has stated that Pakistan will remain as its “steadfast partner”.
In his remarks made on Tuesday, US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price met with the media to discuss the recent terrorist attack on the Peshawar Police Lines that killed more than 100 people, mostly police officers.
In Pakistan, the suicide bombing was one of the deadliest attacks on civilians in recent years and sent shockwaves among the people, who fear the return of the dark days of the war on terror in the country.
In view of the spike in terrorism, the State Department spokesperson was asked whether the US was extending any help and his response was: “Pakistan will continue to be a stalwart partner of the United States and vice versa in the face of these types of horrific terrorist attacks.”
Reacting to the Peshawar tragedy, the spokesperson said that the US has issued a statement after the terrorist attack.
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“Of course, this is something we denounce with the utmost vociferousness – any terrorist attack is something that we strongly condemn. As a result of this attack, scores of innocent civilians, as well as public servants, who had dedicated their lives to protecting their fellow Pakistanis, lost their lives as a result of the incident”, Ned Price said.
It is a scourge that affects Pakistan, it affects India, it affects Afghanistan, it is a scourge that affects us all. As a region, we are very focused on this issue, and we are working hard to address it. The fact is that Pakistan is an important partner of the United States in a variety of ways, and they are a very important partner in a number of ways as well. We’ve talked in recent days about our commitment to stand with Pakistan in the face of these security threats,” he maintained.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who recently visited Washington, had said that Pakistan and the US would soon hold counter-terrorism talks.
Pakistan is currently crafting a new strategy to deal with the resurgent banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). In recent years, there have been concerns that the country may face challenges as a result of the fact that unlike the past, it appears this time that it may not be able to get support from countries such as the United States in order to combat this terrorist group.
During the height of the war on terror and during the military offensives that were undertaken in the erstwhile tribal areas, Pakistan had the support of the US both in terms of resources and equipment. Although the drone campaign of the US may have been unpopular in Pakistan, there is no doubt that it had a significant effect on the TTP as several of their commanders, including TTP chiefs, were killed as a result of US drone strikes.
Unlike last time, Pakistan does not have the luxury of having that luxury, which according to experts could cause complications for Pakistan when it comes to preparing to deal with the resurgent terrorist groups that have struck the country.
