US to Pak: Stamp out terror for more trade

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani business delegation visiting the US has been told by state department officials that the country must root out all forms of terrorism to create a business-friendly environment, according to a report.

The delegation is the first to visit the US since Pakistan’s new ambassador, Ali Jahangir Siddiqui, took up his position last month.

The visit comes at a time when bilateral ties have hit a fresh low, with the US suspending security aid worth nearly $2 billion in January.

On Tuesday, the team met senior US officials who said that “Pakistan must eradicate terrorism, in all its forms, to create a business-friendly environment”, JS Global Capital CEO Kamran Nasir was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper.

The US officials reminded the team that the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is considering a proposal to censure Pakistan over its failure to curb terror financing and stressed the need for Islamabad to take immediate measures to overcome this problem.

As the US played a key role in efforts to put Pakistan on FATF’s “grey list” in February, the delegation felt after the meeting that the country would avoid getting placed on the harsher “black list”. Being placed on the black list could result in economic sanctions, which Pakistan wants to avoid.