A top US official today accused Pakistan of "not taking action" against terrorist groups that threaten its neighbours and pressed it to act against all such dreaded outfits including Haqqani Network, LeT and JeM.
"We believe Pakistan has not taken action against terrorist groups that threaten its neighbours," Special US Af-Pak Representative Richard Olson told members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee during a Congressional hearing.
Olson was responding to questions from the lawmakers who expressed concern over Pakistan being "selective" in taking actions against terrorist groups.
"Their (Pakistan's) stated policy is not to discriminate against terrorists. We believe there is a considerable room for improvement," said the American diplomat, who is President Barack Obama's point person for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
He said it is the time to take action against terrorist groups "more robustly" that threaten Afghanistan.
Olson said the US has raised at the highest level the need to take action against terrorist groups that threaten its neighbours in particular the Haqqani network.
"We continue to press Pakistan to take action against all terrorist groups, including the Haqqani Network, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed," he said.
"We have repeatedly and frankly underscored with the most senior levels of the Pakistani leadership the need to target the Haqqani network as part of their wider counter-terrorism operations, in keeping with their commitment not to discriminate between terrorist organisations," he said.
The Haqqani Network has carried out a number of kidnappings and attacks against US interests in Afghanistan, as well as Afghan government and civilian targets.
The group is also blamed for several deadly attacks against Indian interests in Afghanistan including the 2008 bombing of the Indian mission in Kabul that killed 58 people.
JeM and LeT have carried out multiple terror attacks in India more recently JeM attacked a key air force base in Pathankot in which seven security men were killed.
The Obama Administration shares the sub-committees' disappointment in progress against these groups and continue to voice its concerns with Pakistani leadership often, Olson said.
"We will not be satisfied until Pakistan makes a decisive shift in its policy toward these externally-focused groups, nor will Pakistan's struggle with terrorism come to an end," he said.
Responding to another question on sale of eight F-16 jets to Pakistan, Olson defended the Obama administration's decision arguing that with the aircraft Pakistan has developed "precision striking capabilities" against terrorist groups.
Olson, however, did not mention India even as several lawmakers expressed concern that F-16 jets would be used against India.
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Olson said America's relationship with Pakistan, a growing country with over 190 million people, a nuclear arsenal, terrorism challenges, and a key role to play in the region, will also remain a critical one.
"Indeed, in Pakistan, we see the government engaged in a concerted and difficult fight against terror groups that threaten all Pakistanis," he noted.
"Pakistan's relationships with its neighbours have peaked and troughed, but are trending toward greater dialogue to resolve differences," he said.
"Effective engagement with Pakistan, grounded in our important national interests, is critical to promoting the consolidation of democratic institutions and economic stability while supporting the government's counter-terrorism capabilities," Olson said.
For Pakistan, the State Department has requested USD 742.2 million for 2016-2017. This includes USD 472.4 million in civilian assistance and USD 269.8 million in security assistance, he said.
"This request strikes the appropriate balance between long-term development and strategic military-to-military cooperation, both of which are in our national security interest, and is at a level that we can responsibly implement," he said.
"This request is considerably lower - indeed, over 60 per cent lower - than our peak funding for Pakistan in FY 2010, the first year under the Kerry-Lugar-Berman authorisation," Olson said.
"While this decrease is warranted given urgent needs around the globe, the requested resources remain crucial to advancing cooperation on core areas that matter to us: bolstering Pakistan's counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations; empowering women and girls; enabling the return of internally-displaced persons; and facilitating private sector investment in Pakistan's economy and energy sector," he said.
