Key US diplomat to visit Islamabad this week, discuss security challenges with Pakistani officials

ISLAMABAD: US Acting Under Secretary of State John Bass will discuss bilateral issues and regional security challenges with Pakistani officials in Islamabad this week, the State Department said, as the South Asian country confronts surging militant attacks on its soil. 

Pakistan and the US, once close allies during the Cold War era and the so-called “War on Terror,” have closely cooperated in battling militant outfits such as Daesh and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) over the years. 

Pakistan has suffered a surge in militant attacks since the Afghan Taliban seized Kabul in August 2021. Islamabad blames the TTP or the Pakistani Taliban for launching attacks in Pakistan from Afghanistan. The Afghan government rejects Pakistan’s allegations of providing shelter to militants and has urged Islamabad to resolve its security challenges internally. 

“Acting Under Secretary of State John Bass will travel to Islamabad, Pakistan, and Ankara, Türkiye, from September 14 to 18,” a press release from the State Department on Sunday read. “In Islamabad, Under Secretary Bass will meet with senior Pakistani government officials to discuss a range of bilateral issues and shared regional security challenges.”

In Ankara, Bass will meet senior Turkish officials “to underscore the strength of US-Turkiye bilateral relationship,” the State Department said. It added that both sides will also discuss efforts by the US and Turkiye to work together to support peace and stability in the region. 

Pakistan and the US cultivated strong defense ties during the Cold War era yet their relationship was also tested by divergent priorities on various issues. However, more recent times have seen tensions escalate, particularly after the September 11 attacks on American soil, when US officials criticized Pakistan for not sufficiently supporting the American military efforts against the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The perception of US interference in Pakistani politics has also been a contentious issue between the two countries, highlighted by former prime minister Imran Khan’s allegations that Washington orchestrated his ouster in April 2022, a claim the US authorities have denied.