Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, March 29th, 2024

Pakistan Not Doing Enough to Disrupt Haqqanis: Pentagon

Pakistan Not Doing Enough to Disrupt Haqqanis: Pentagon

WASHINGTON - Pakistan has not made sustained efforts to disrupt the Haqqani network, needing to take steps to deny safe haven to terrorist outfits, the Pentagon told the US Congress on Friday.
Sustained Pakistani efforts to counter Haqqani Network threats were not seen during the past six months,” the Pentagon said in its latest half-yearly report for the period ending in November.
“The US continues to be clear with Pakistan about steps it should take to improve the security environment and deny safe havens to terrorist and extremist groups,” said the report running into more
Cross-border firing incidents in June and July at the Torkham crossing had also complicated efforts to increase Afghanistan-Pakistan cooperation on reconciliation and counterterrorism issues, the Pentagon said.
Despite complications, the US continued to support an Afghan-led process for a negotiated resolution of the conflict, and was working with international partners to set conditions for a peaceful political settlement between the Afghan government and the Taliban and other militant groups, it said.
On September 22, 2016, Kabul signed a peace agreement with the Hezb-e-Islami led by Gulbadin Hekmatyar, demonstrating the potential for insurgent groups to participate in an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned political reconciliation process, the report said.
At the same time, the report said consistent mid-level military-to-military dialogue between Afghanistan and Pakistan on specific issues, such as the shared threat from ISIL-K, and occasional discussions at higher levels were encouraging.
Although al Qaeda’s core leadership in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region had been degraded, elements continued to seek safe haven on both sides of the border to regenerate and conduct attack planning, it added.
The continued development of Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), highlighted the dynamic nature of the region’s terrorist and militant landscape, posing risks to the mission and to US interests, it said.
Attacks in Afghanistan attributed to Pakistan-based militant networks continued to undermine the bilateral relationship more than any other issue, the Pentagon said, adding efforts to increase military collaboration were critical to maintaining pressure on terrorist groups to address the enduring security challenges.
“Afghanistan-Pakistan relations deteriorated following a major Haqqani Network attack against a National Directorate of Security (NDS) building in Kabul on April 19, 2016, and continued to do so as tensions over construction at the Torkham border crossing in June 2016 led to exchanges of gunfire that resulted in casualties to both Afghan and Pakistani military personnel,” the report said.
“Afghan-oriented militant groups, including Taliban and Haqqani network’s senior leadership, retain freedom of action from safe havens inside Pakistani territory. The US continues to be clear with Pakistan about steps it should take to improve the security environment and deny safe havens to terrorist groups,” the report said. (Pajhwok)