US to Pak: Target all terrorists

WASHINGTON: The US has once again raised with Pakistan the importance of exterminating “all” terrorists and militants “without distinction” in South Asia.

Islamabad has been accused of supporting “good terrorists”, the Pakistan-based entities operating in India and Afghanistan, from “bad terrorists”, Pakistani terrorists that have turned upon their onetime masters, bringing home to them the horrors they had devised for their enemies.

The “importance of targeting all militant and terrorist groups in South Asia without distinction” was discussed by secretary of state Mike Pompeo with Pakistani Army chief Qamar Bajwa on Wednesday, state department spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a statement.

This was possibly the first call or conversation Pompeo has had with a high ranking Pakistani official after taking over as top diplomat in May.

His predecessor Rex Tillerson had delivered a list of US “asks” to Pakistan.

“It’s quite striking that Pompeo had this conversation with Gen Bajwa, particularly given that the Pakistani side has publicly claimed there is currently no high-level exchanges between the two sides,” said Michael Kugelman, a South Asia expert with Wilson Center.

He added: “The fact that it was Pompeo and not (secretary of defence James) Mattis that had the conversation with Gen Bajwa is striking, but not too surprising.

“The White House is surely aware of the dominant role that the Pakistani military plays in managing policy toward the US, and in this regard there’s probably a desire within the Trump administration to have a range of top cabinet officials convey their concerns and sentiments to the Pakistani army chief.”

US PRESIDENT TRUMP FIRST PUT PAKISTAN ON NOTICE IN AUGUST 2017 WHILE UNVEILING HIS AFGHANISTANCENTRIC SOUTH ASIA STRATEGY.