State department spokesperson says ‘Pakistani people have suffered tremendously from terrorist attacks’
The United States on Tuesday supported Pakistan’s right to defend itself from terrorism and said that Pakistani people have “suffered tremendously” from terror attacks.
In a weekly press briefing, US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price, while responding to a question regarding Pakistan’s National Security Committee’s (NSC) statement that indicated that it might resort to targeting the terrorist safe havens across the border if Afghanistan did not take the appropriate action, stated that “the Pakistani people have suffered tremendously from terrorist attacks,” adding that “Pakistan has a right to defend itself from terrorism”.
Price furthered that the US will continue “to call on the Taliban to uphold the very commitment they have made to see to it that Afghan soil is never again used as a launchpad for international terrorist attacks”.
The statement by the US came two days after the country’s highest forum on security and foreign policy, NSC, sent an unequivocal message to the Afghan Taliban regime that Pakistan would not allow its neighbour to provide sanctuaries and facilitate terrorists.
“The forum concluded that no country will be allowed to provide sanctuaries and facilitation to terrorists and Pakistan reserves all rights in that respect to safeguard her people,” said the statement without naming Afghanistan.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah had said international laws sanctions cross-border attack on terrorists’ sanctuaries.
However, the Afghan Taliban regime rejected Pakistan’s allegations that the TTP was operating out of Afghanistan and warned against any cross-border raids. The NSC statement, nevertheless, suggests that Pakistan is not convinced with the Afghan Taliban government’s stance.
Taliban ban on women in NGOs
While answering a question regarding the Taliban’s recent ban on females working in national and international NGOs in Afghanistan, the spokesperson said that the US wanted to be “very clear and swift” in condemning the “outrageous” decision.
“This decision puts at risk millions of Afghans who depend on humanitarian assistance for their very survival. We call on the Taliban to urgently reverse this harmful decision,” Price added.
The spokesperson further discussed the US’ next action if the Taliban didn’t pay attention to the widespread condemnations.
“These are among the very commitments that the Taliban have been unable or unwilling to fulfill to date,” the US state department spokesperson added.
Price also said that the Taliban have made commitments to the international community. But more importantly, they have made commitments to the Afghan people.
“Among the commitments, the Taliban have made but have repeatedly broken when it comes to their own people is an emphasis on human rights, is an emphasis on forming a government that represents the people of Afghanistan, and a number of other steps that the Taliban have been unable or unwilling to fulfill,” he added.
The spokesperson also said that until these commitments are fulfilled, the US will continue to respond in a way that registers the US’ “strong condemnation while continuing to support the Afghan people”.
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