WASHINGTON Oct 19 (FD): US State Department said Washington sought a strong partnership with Islamabad to counter global and regional terrorism, saying it also has confidence in Pakistan’s ability to defend its nuclear assets.
State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel makes another clarification as Pakistan summoned the US envoy after President Joe Biden termed the South Asian country ‘dangerous nation’ in the world and questioned its nuclear weapons safety protocols.
Patel said that there are very few countries that were hit by terrorism like Pakistan. The counterterrorism effort is part of our common interests, he said. “The US has always viewed a secure and prosperous Pakistan as critical to its interests. The US values longstanding cooperation with Pakistan,” he said.
He mentioned that the terror outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) poses a serious threat to the region, and pledged a strong partnership with Pakistan to curb terrorism. US has a shared interest in combating threats to regional instability and regional security like the TTP, the spokesperson said.
Washington also expected Islamabad to take action against global and regional terrorist organizations. We look forward to the cooperative efforts to eliminate all regional and global terrorist threats, the statement said.
