Terrorist groups operating inside Pak a continued security threat: US

The United States has said it recognises that the Haqqani Network and other terrorist groups operating inside Pakistan and those along the Pak-Afghanistan border are a continued security threat.

"We all recognize that the continued security threat that is posed by the Haqqani Network and by other terrorist groups that operate inside Pakistan and along that border between Afghanistan and Pakistan," US State Department spokesperson John Kirby said at Tuesday's press briefing.

US State Secretary John Kerry, who is presently visiting India, also agreed on coming down heavily on such terrorist organisations.

Kerry earlier on Tuesday said terrorism cannot be differentiated irrespective of where it comes from.

Kerry also said that Pakistan in recent months has taken strong actions against the Haqqani Network.

After meeting Kerry, Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had said that the US Secretary agreed with India's view that no nation should maintain double standards, such as the categorization of good and bad terrorists nor must they act as sanctuaries and safe havens for terrorist organizations.

She said that the two nations also reaffirmed the urgent necessity for Pakistan to dismantle safe havens for terrorists and criminal networks, including Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad.

She added that Secretary Kerry also agreed on the need for Pakistan to do more to bring the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai and 2016 Pathankot terror attacks to justice quickly.

But when Kirby was asked why Pentagon did not agree with State Department's views about the Pakistani action against the Haqqani Network as last month Defence Secretary Ash Carter refused to certify that Pakistan had done enough to counter the terrorist network which led to the suspension of USD 300 million of US military aid to Pakistan, Kirby said, "we make these decisions routinely and they're based on active, fluid, dynamic conversations that we have with Pakistani leaders."

During the briefing, Kirby also agreed with Kerry's earlier remarks that the resumption of trilateral dialogue with India and Afghanistan was the way forward and added that details for the same need to be worked out.

"Those discussions are important and they are going to continue," said Kirby.