Pakistan rejects US criticism over terrorism

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, left, heads a meeting of the National Security Committee in Islamabad, Pakistan, Thursday. (AP)

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Security Committee has rejected the Trump administration’s accusation that Islamabad is harboring terrorists.
Pakistan has taken action “against all terrorist networks and sacrificed tens of thousands of troops and civilians in this fight,” said the committee, comprising military top brass, Cabinet members and civilians.
“The demonstrable security improvements inside Pakistan would not have been possible without eliminating all terrorist hideouts,” it added.
“There should be understanding and recognition of our efforts, contributions and the sacrifice of thousands of Pakistanis… We consider the lives of the citizens of other countries as sacrosanct as those of our own and, therefore, Pakistan is committed to not allowing its soil to be used for violence against any other country.”
The committee said: “We would like to see effective and immediate US military efforts to eliminate sanctuaries harboring terrorists and miscreants on Afghan soil, including those responsible for fomenting terror in Pakistan. The Afghan war cannot be fought in Pakistan.”
Islamabad has long demanded that Afghanistan eliminate sanctuaries on its soil to which terrorists escape and then launch attacks against Pakistan.
The committee criticized the recent US leaning toward India because the latter “has conflictual relationships with all its neighbors and is pursuing a policy of destabilizing Pakistan from east and west.”
Regarding the safety and security of Pakistan’s nuclear program, the committee said: “As a responsible nuclear weapon state, Pakistan has... a robust and credible command and control system.”