Nobody wants peace in Afghanistan more than Islamabad, prime minister tells Mattis Do more to fight militants, US defence secretary tells Pakistan
US defence secretary Jim Mattis met Pakistan’s civilian and military leaders yesterday, and urged them to rein in militants accused of using the country as a base to carry out attacks in Afghanistan.
Mr Mattis, on a one-day visit to Pakistan, said the country had made progress in the fight against militancy within its borders but needed to do more.
More than 100 days after US president Donald Trump announced a South Asia strategy that calls for a firmer line on Islamabad, analysts say success has been limited and it is not clear how progress will be made.
American officials have long been frustrated by what they see as Pakistan’s reluctance to act against groups such as the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network, who they believe exploit safe havens on Pakistani soil to launch attacks in Afghanistan. “The secretary reiterated that Pakistan must redouble its efforts to confront militants and terrorists operating within the country,” the Pentagon said.
Mr Mattis, who was visiting Pakistan for the first time as defence secretary, said before the trip that the goal for his meetings would be to find “common ground”.
In his discussion with Mr Mattis, Pakistani prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said the two allies shared objectives.
“We’re committed [to] the war against terror,” Mr Abbasi said. “Nobody wants peace in Afghanistan more than Pakistan.”
Mr Mattis also met high-ranking officials from Pakistan’s military, including army chief Gen Qamar Bajwa and Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar, the head of the inter-services intelligence spy agency that US officials say has links with Haqqani and Taliban militants.
In August, Mr Trump outlined a new strategy for the war in Afghanistan, chastising Pakistan over its alleged support for Afghan militants. But beyond that, the Trump government has done little to articulate its strategy, experts say.
US officials say they have not seen a change in Pakistan’s support for militants, despite visits by senior US officials, including the secretary of state, Rex Tillerson.
“We have been very direct and very clear with the Pakistanis, we have not seen those changes implemented yet,” said Gen John Nicholson, the senior US general in Afghanistan.
Pakistani officials pushed back on the American accusations, saying they had done a great deal to help the US in tracking down militants.
Some experts say the US loses clout in Pakistan when it is seen as bullying, and the Trump administration’s tough words have done little to change Islamabad’s opinion.
“There is not an effective stick any more because Pakistan doesn’t really care about US aid, it has been dwindling anyway and it is getting the money it needs elsewhere,” said Madiha Afzal, of the Brookings Institution’s Global Economy and Development programme.
“Treat it with respect and actually reward it when it does do something good.”
A week ago, a hardline Pakistani group called off nationwide protests after the government met its demand that a minister accused of blasphemy resign.
And a Pakistani Islamist accused of masterminding a bloody 2008 assault in Mumbai was freed from house arrest, which the White House said could have repercussions for US-Pakistan relations.
The US has done little to outline its strategy more than 100 days after announcing a firmer line on Pakistan