Pak lifting more than its share in curbing terror: envoy

WASHINGTON—Pakistan is doing more than its share in the fight against terrorism, ambassador to the United States Mahmud Ali Durrani stressed in an interview with an American channel, which highlighted the South Asian country’s vital contribution to counterterrorism over past several years.
“I think Pakistan is lifting more than its share and load in the war on terror,” the Pakistani envoy told FOX news channel while defending the country’s consistent counterterrorism efforts. Pakistan has deployed around 100,000 troops along its Afghan border to combat terrorists and stop their cross-border movement as militants fleeing Afghanistan after US defeat of the Taliban in 2001 sought to cross over into Pakistan.
The country is also pursuing a holistic strategy to curb extremism in the long-term perspective with a combination of administrative, political, security and economic measures, trying to bring development to local people.
A number of the high-level detainees and six out of 14 of al-Qaeada’s most wanted operatives were captured with the help of Pakistan’s intelligence, the channel noted while recounting Pakistan’s key role. Last year alone, it added, Pakistan’s cooperation led to elimination of militant commanders.
The channel also referred to Pakistan’s important role on the high seas of the Persian Gulf where it patrols to intercept smugglers. Meanwhile, the US State Department on Tuesday acknowledged Pakistan’s critical efforts in the fight against terrorism over several years and said it is working with the close ally to combat terrorism in the region.
“President Musharraf and the Pakistani government over past five years have been good allies in the war on terror,” State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said at the daily briefing.
Answering a question he cited Pakistan’s “numerous operations to disrupt terrorist attacks as well as break up terrorist cells.” On eliminating terrorism threat along border region with Afghanistan, he said the Pakistani government is very much aware of it. Eliminating terrorist threat will require a concerted effort he said adding the US continues to work with Pakistan to see that there is no sanctuary for terrorists along its border areas.—Agencies