USA ‘YET TO SEE’ PAKISTAN REIN IN THE TALIBAN

WASHINGTON: The US is not satisfied with Pakistan’s cooperation in the war against terror as part of its South Asia strategy and is yet to see Islamabad taking steps to “rein in” the Taliban and the Haqqani Network, a senior Trump administration official has said.

He also termed the release of Mumbai-terror attack accused Hafiz Saeed as “a step backward” in that direction.

The official said that the release of the Coleman family, held captive for five years by the Haqqani Network from inside Pakistan, was “not an indication” of Islamabad’s cooperation with the US in the war against terror.

“Our diplomatic pressure, as well as our own intelligence agencies’ diligent work led to the release of the Coleman family. So,

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I am not sure if that qualifies as step forward (by Pakistan),” the official said.

“We are happy that the Colemans are free and that they have been released. But we are still waiting to see Pakistan take steps to rein in the Taliban and the Haqqani Betwork. We are not satisfied that they have done anything significant on this front,” he said.

The US, the official said, would be looking for very specific action from Pakistan within coming weeks and months. Former Egyptian prime minister Ahmed Shafik missing since he was deported from the UAE Shafik’s family said he was picked up at his home in the UAE on Saturday and taken by private plane back to Cairo. Egyptian authorities reportedly escorted him in a convoy from the airport. UAE authorities confirmed he left the

Emirates, but Egyptian officials have not commented on the case

Egypt’s foreign ministry said it was not responsible for the case. The interior ministry could not immediately be reached for comment. His family and lawyer said they planned to file complaints with the prosecutor’s office about his whereabouts