WASHINGTON: In a meeting held at the foreign office, Pentagon Chief Spokesperson Dana W White said “Well, with respect to Pakistan we believe that Pakistan can do more to combat terrorism”.
White added that ‘this is an inflection point and this is an opportunity and Pakistan has an opportunity to do more’ while replying to a question about the future of Pakistan and Afghanistan, when Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and China had recently voted against the US resolution on Pakistan’s inclusion into the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey-list.
The Pentagon Chief spokesperson said that they looked forward to continue working with Pakistan where there is an opportunity, as Pakistan had been a victim of terrorism.
“Our goal is to help the Afghan Security Forces become capable enough to ensure that the violence ends. The Taliban has to abandon terror, it has to abandon violence, and it has to support the Afghan constitution. Then they have to come to the table. And that is, ultimately, for the people of Afghanistan to come to an ultimate political resolution.” added White, on a query about Pentagon’s views on Pakistan’s welcoming the Afghan government’s latest proposal for peace talks with Taliban.
Pakistan is once again in trouble with FATF. Last week Dr Muhammad Faisal, Pakistan’s Foreign Office Spokesperson, stated that the country would be placed on the grey list of the FATF in June.
On February 26, a meeting between Tehmina Janjua, the foreign secretary of Pakistan, and US Deputy Assistant to the President Lisa Curtis was held during her emergency visit to the country.