Daily Times

Pakistan has played a pivotal role in US counterterrorism efforts over the years, but it has never been a formal ally bound by treaty obligations, senior White House official John Kirby has clarified.

This nuanced positioning underscores the delicate and complex nature of US-Pakistan relations, shaped by shared security concerns and divergent strategic priorities.

At a Washington briefing, White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby candidly addressed the nature of the US-Pakistan relationship, highlighting the absence of any formal defence pact.

“Pakistan was never a technical ally of the United States. I mean, there was no treaty of alliance with Pakistan,” he stated in response to a question. Despite this, Kirby emphasised the long history of cooperation between the two countries, particularly in combating terrorism in the volatile Afghanistan-Pakistan border region. “Certainly, over many, many years in the last couple of decades, we partnered with Pakistan as appropriate to deal with the terrorist threat that still exists on that spine between Afghanistan and Pakistan,” he explained.

At the same time, Kirby also acknowledged the human cost of terrorism in Pakistan, recognising that its citizens continue to suffer from cross-border violence. “We recognise that Pakistan is still – still the Pakistani people fall victim to terrorist violence coming from across that border. “And we have, and for as long as we’ll be in office here, remain committed to working with Pakistan to address those common threats and challenges. And that’s not – that hasn’t changed. It’s not going to change,” Kirby said during the briefing.