Still working with US on security cooperation: Pak FO

Pakistan today said it is engaged with America on the issue of security cooperation and was awaiting further details of the announcement by the US on suspension of over USD 1 billion military aid to Islamabad for failing to clamp down on terror groups.
State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert at a news briefing in Washington announced the US move to cut off aid, days after President Donald Trump made an scathing attack on Pakistan for giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" in return for USD 33 billion aid and accused Islamabad of providing "safe haven" to terrorists.

"We are engaged with the US Administration on the issue of security cooperation and await further details. Impact of the US' decision on pursuit of common objectives is also likely to emerge more clearly in due course of time," Pakistan Foreign Office (FO) said while reacting to suspension of aid announcement.
Pakistan, it said, believes that its cooperation with the US in fighting terrorism directly serves America's national security interests as well as the larger interests of international community, as it helped decimate Al-Qaeda and fight other groups who took advantage of ungoverned spaces, a long porous border and posed a common threat to peace.

Through a series of major counter-terrorism operations, Pakistan cleared all these areas resulting in elimination of organised terrorist presence leading to significant improvement in security in Pakistan, it said.
"Pakistan's efforts towards peace are awaiting reciprocal actions from the Afghan side in terms of clearance of vast stretches of ungoverned spaces on that side, bilateral border management, repatriation of Afghan Refugees, controlling poppy cultivation, drug trafficking and initiating Afghan-led and owned political reconciliation in Afghanistan," it said.

The FO also said that working towards enduring peace requires mutual respect and trust along with patience and persistence.
Highlighting the new threat of Daesh (IS), Pakistan said "emergence of new and more deadly groups such as Daesh in Afghanistan call for enhancing international cooperation."

"Arbitrary deadlines, unilateral pronouncements and shifting goalposts are counterproductive in addressing common threats".
Asserting that Pakistan fought the war against terrorism largely from its own resources which has cost over USD 120 billion in 15 years, the FO said, "We are determined to continue to do all it takes to secure the lives of our citizens and broader stability in the region".