Want Pakistan to expand counter-terrorism efforts: US State Dept

US State Dept spokesperson stresses need for dialogue between Pakistan, India

The United States has said it wants to see Pakistan's efforts against terrorism expand.

"We want to see those efforts expand. But it’s such a complex dynamic," US State Department spokesperson Mark Toner said during his weekly press briefing.

The spokesperson said Pakistan has been deeply affected by terrorism and also acknowledged the steps it has taken to fight the menace of terrorism. “Pakistan has been, as we all know, deeply affected by terrorism and has taken steps to counter that terrorism in the recent past. We want to see those efforts expand.”



Pakistan and US agreed on Thursday to take effective action against all terrorist groups. According to a joint statement issued after a meeting between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and US President Barack Obama, Pakistan ensured that Taliban, including Haqqani Network, are not able to operate from Pakistan. Further, Nawaz said that Pakistan would take effective action against United Nations-designated terror entities including the likes of Lashkar-e-Taiba and its affiliates.

Further, Toner stressed the need for dialogue between Pakistan and India to strengthen regional stability. “We’ve been very clear that India and Pakistan need dialogue.”



“They need to continue to discuss with each other their mutual concerns about security and that they need greater engagement, because frankly, better dialogue, improved dialogue, greater cooperation between those two countries is important for the security of the entire region,” Toner added.

Further, he described the meeting between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President Barack Obama as very successful and said the visit overall highlighted America's "strong and growing relationship" with Pakistan.

Toner said the visit provided an opportunity to strengthen our cooperation on a range of issues, including economic growth, trade, investment, clean energy, nuclear security and regional stability.

India’s belligerence increasing regional tensions: Nawaz

Lamenting the largely cold response to his country’s peace proposals, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif urged the international community to play its role to stop a dangerous slide towards what he warned was a Pakistan-India crisis. “Clearly, there is a real and present threat to peace and security in South Asia. The international community can no longer pretend that it does not exist,” Nawaz said while addressing a gathering at the US Institute of Peace on Friday as he wrapped up his four-day long tour of the US.

Pakistan shared with the US three dossiers containing evidence of India’s involvement in terrorism activities in the country’s volatile regions – including Balochistan, Karachi and tribal regions – as it renewed a commitment to normalisation with New Delhi. The dossiers were handed by Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz to a US State Department delegation, led by Secretary of State John Kerry, which met Premier Nawaz Sharif and his cabinet members at the Blair House on Wednesday.