US waiting to see Pakistan act on terror in next few weeks, says official

October 28, 2017

Days after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told Pakistan that it must act against terrorist groups operating in the country, a top American diplomat has said they will be closely observing the steps taken by Islamabad in its war against terrorism. Pakistan was also warned that if it fails to do so, the US will "adjust" its strategies to achieve the objective in a "different way", a State Department official said.

The Trump administration has defined a "very important role" for Pakistan, the official said, and now it's up to them to work with the US or not.

"This is about Pakistan's sovereign choice. This is not about America giving dictation. We see Pakistan as a very important country in the region, but it's up to them whether or not they want to work with us on this strategy. And if they don't, as the Secretary said, we'll adjust accordingly," Alice G Wells, the acting Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs and Acting Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, who was part of the US delegation Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's trip to the region told reporters

Wells said that the Taliban leadership and the Haqqani Network still retain an ability to plan, recuperate, and reside with their families in Pakistan. "In 2014, we saw Pakistan make a strategic decision to defeat the terrorist groups that were targeting the government of Pakistan. And with great loss of life, great courage, great vision about what needed to be done, Pakistan has fought that battle and now has regained control and sovereignty over the Federally Administered Tribal Areas territories," she said.