U.S. Urges Pakistan to ‘Do More’ Against Taliban

The United States Vice President Mike Pence has urged Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi that his country “must do more” against the Taliban and other militants.

President Ashraf Ghani in a meeting with visiting Pakistani National Security Advisor Nasser Janjua has formally invited Pakistan’s PM to visit Kabul for initiating a comprehensive state-to-state dialogue to improve bilateral relations.

“Pakistan’s Prime Minister was invited in order to start a comprehensive state-to-state dialogue about peace, counter-terrorism and regional relations to reach to a conclusion,” Deputy Presidential Spokesman, Dawa Khan Meenapal said.

The Afghan Ministry of Defense (MoD) says Pakistan has not taken any action against terrorist groups operating in its soil. Adding that more pressures by Washington against Islamabad is the only option remained to force Pakistan for cooperation.

“So far, Pakistan has promised in words, but in action they haven’t done anything in the fight against terrorism,” MoD Deputy Spokesman, Mohammad Radmanish said.

Meanwhile, Hamayoun Hamayoun deputy speaker of the lower house of parliament believes that “Taliban is a war machine with no expense in the control of Pakistan” and the country “is never willing to lose the insurgent group” for the sake of a lasting-peace in Afghanistan.

The U.S. and Afghanistan have always called on Pakistan to do more to address the continued presence of the Taliban, Haqqani Network and others terrorist groups operating in its soil. Both Washington and Kabul say there is little or no sign that Islamabad has made a decision to end its support for the Taliban.