US will not withdraw completely from Pak-Afghan region post 2014

The United States will not completely withdraw from the Pak-Afghan region post-2014 even after most of its combat troops return home, a senior US official said.

Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha Desai Biswal also stressed that the need for improvement in Pakistan-India relations is a crucial factor in bringing stability to Afghanistan, Dawn News reports.

Biswal, however, made it clear that the U.S. would only play a supportive role and avoid direct influence in resolving the disputes.