Daily Times

US Vice President Mike Pence told Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi at a meeting here at his official residence that Pakistan must ‘do more’ to prevent cross-border attacks otherwise the US would itself take necessary steps to protect its personnel in Afghanistan.

“Vice President Pence reiterated President (Donald) Trump’s request that Pakistan must do more to address the continued presence of the Taliban, Haqqani Network and other terrorist groups operating in their country,” the White House said in a statement. “Pakistan could and should work closer with the United States,” Pence told Abbasi.

On Friday, Abbasi made an unscheduled visit to Pence’s home during a private visit to the country.

He apprised the vice president of Pakistan’s efforts thus far to combat terrorist groups in its territory.

Senior officials at a briefing to the Washington-based reporters following the meeting said that VP Pence focused on the Afghan policy during the 30-minute discussion with the Pakistani PM. The US officials expressed the Trump administration’s frustration with Pakistan’s Afghan policy. “Six months after the announcement of the South Asia Policy, Pakistan is yet to take the kind of decisive actions that the US is seeking,” one of the officials said. “We are continuing to look for real actions and not words on the Taliban and the Haqqani sanctuaries,” he added.

Demanding ‘cooperative action’ from Pakistan, the official said, “It’s Pakistan’s choice in which direction it wants to take the future of the relationship.”

The US continues to engage in strategic dialogue with Pakistani leaders and is willing to address their concerns, he added.

Washington sees little sign of Islamabad making a decision to end its support for the Taliban, who have been viewed by the Pakistan’s intelligence services as a means to safeguard country’s interests against India and as a bulwark against Indian influence in Kabul. US Defence Secretary James Mattis, during an unannounced visit to Kabul last week, told reporters that he had seen initial indications that there have been changes in Pakistan’s behaviour, however he wanted to use the trip to investigate further. “I want to talk to people here and see the reality of how they see it, and go back and talk to our intelligence agencies to get a full assessment of where we’re at,” he had said.

“There is interest that we’ve picked up from the Taliban side even before the Kabul conference. US has seen indications that some elements of the Taliban are interested in negotiations to end the 16-year war in Afghanistan,” Mattis had said, referring to the international conference in Kabul last month where Afghan President Ghani offered the Taliban political dialogue to end insurgency.

Published in Daily Times, March 19^th 2018.