WASHINGTON: Pakistan released a new factsheet on its efforts
to counter terrorism here on Friday night as an American scholar warned
that US Vice President Mike Pence’s rhetoric against the country would
not help the fight against militancy.
The factsheet
re-emphasises Pakistan’s stance that the death of 122 children at a
Peshawar school on Dec 16, 2014 has galvanised the entire nation against
terrorism and the operations launched since then have targeted all
terrorists without exception.
Marvin G. Weinbaum, a
leading scholar of South Asian affairs in Washington, said at the
launching ceremony that the factsheet “makes a strong case” about
Pakistan’s commitment to fight terrorism. Pakistan, he said, arrived at
this commitment not due to American pressure but because the Peshawar
school attack “touched the national conscience”.
Urging
the United States to understand this change in Pakistan’s approach, Mr
Weinbaum said that Mr Pence’s statement about putting Pakistan on notice
“does not help the fight against terrorism”.
In a
speech in Kabul on Friday, Mr Pence claimed that Pakistan had provided
safe haven to terrorists for too long but those days are over now, as
President Donald Trump had “put Pakistan on notice”.
Pakistan reacted strongly to the statement, reminding Washington that “allies do not put each other on notice”.
Mr
Weinbaum, while rejecting Mr Pence’s remarks as inappropriate and
unhelpful, also emphasised the need for Pakistan to show the same
commitment in fighting other terrorist groups that it displayed against
the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
He said that
recent activities of individuals like Hafiz Saeed and Maulana Khadim
Rizvi were a threat to the Pakistani society and harmed the country’s
image in the international community.
“After achieving a
national consensus against TTP, Pakistan now has to take on other
militant groups, as well, groups that are more dangerous and lethal,” he
said.
