The US has told all its regional partners, including Pakistan, that state support for terrorist proxies will not be tolerated, the Pentagon has said, expressing concern over the free movement of some militant groups in Pakistan that are presenting security challenges for Afghanistan.
The Pentagon, in its semi-annual Afghan report to the US Congress that covers the period of June to November 2018, said on Thursday that Taliban and the Haqqani Network retain freedom of movement in Pakistan.
The Pentagon’s remarks came amidst reports that President
Donald Trump is planning to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan.
In the report, the Pentagon said that Afghanistan faces a continuing threat from an externally supported insurgency and the highest regional concentration of terrorist groups in the world.
“In this reporting period, the US continued to call on regional partners to
reinforce our messages that state support for terrorist proxies will not be tolerated, that cross-border cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan is essential, and that the Taliban cannot achieve its objectives through continued military conflict,” the Pentagon said.
“Although Pakistani military operations have disrupted some militant sanctuaries, certain groups — such as the Taliban and the Haqqani Network — retain freedom of movement in Pakistan.
The United States continues to convey to all levels of Pakistani leadership the importance of taking action against all terrorist and militant groups,” it said.