Fight terror in all forms, McMaster tells Pak leaders
US National Security Adviser HR McMaster on Monday told Pakistan’s top civilian and military leaders of the “need to confront terrorism in all its forms”, a day after he hinted the Trump administration could take a tougher stance on Islamabad.
McMaster arrived in Pakistan after travelling to Afghanistan, where he told the media that that Pakistan should target militant groups “less selectively” and pursue diplomacy that does not use “proxies that engage in violence”.
A statement from the US embassy in Islamabad said McMaster expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s democratic and economic development but also “stressed the need to confront terrorism in all its forms”.
McMaster, who was making his first visit to Pakistan in his role as National Security Adviser, discussed a range of bilateral and regional issues during meetings with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, special advisor to the prime minister Sartaj Aziz, and National Security Adviser Nasser Khan Janjua.
A statement from Sharif’s office quoted the prime minister as saying that Pakistan is looking forward to “forging a strong and mutually beneficial partnership with the US” and working with the new US administration to “promote peace and security in the region and beyond”.
Sharif also referred to his commitment to a peaceful neighbourhood and “reiterated his firm conviction on sustained dialogue and meaningful engagement as the only way forward to resolve all outstanding issues between India and Pakistan, including the Kashmir dispute”.
He also welcomed President Donald Trump’s “willingness to help India and Pakistan resolve their differences particularly on Kashmir and noted that this could go a long way in bringing sustainable peace, security and prosperity to the region”. India has rejected any role for outside powers in the Kashmir issue.
McMaster, the first top member of Trump’s administration to visit Pakistan, told Afghanistan’s Tolo News channel on Sunday it was in Pakistan’s interest to go after militant groups “less selectively than they have in the past”.