Stop blaming Islamabad for your failures in Afghanistan: Pakistan to US

Pakistan Army chief Gen Qamar Bajwa has claimed that there are no safe havens for terrorists in his country and asked the US to stop blaming Islamabad for its failure in Afghanistan.

Gen Bajwa asked the American leadership to instead search for the reasons for its failures in the war-torn country.

Speaking at the three-day Munich Security Conference where military chiefs and civilian leaders have gathered to discuss the world's most pressing security issues, the army chief yesterday categorically denied the existence of terrorist sanctuaries on the country's soil and recalled the steps taken to prevent unauthorised movements across the porous border, the Dawn reported.

Gen Bajwa said Pakistan was being attacked from terrorist hideouts on Afghan soil. He also emphasised the need for repatriation of 2.7 million Afghan refugees currently residing in Pakistan.

Pointing to the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and Islamic State safe havens, he said terrorists had established sanctuaries on the Afghan soil along the border with Pakistan.

Gen Bajwa said underscored the importance of international cooperation against terrorism.

Speaking about the operations launched in the country against terrorists, he said that besides kinetic operations, a lot of emphasis had been put on cutting off their financial sources.

He said Pakistans counterterrorism operations were being carried out under a National Action Plan.

Last month, the Trump administration suspended nearly USD 2 billion in security assistance to Pakistan accusing the country of not doing enough in the fight against terrorism.

However, despite the US administration's tough stand against Islamabad, Pakistan has categorically denied the allegations of supporting terrorism.