A top United States military officer has accused Pakistan’s premier intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of having ties with ‘terrorist groups’.
“It is clear to me that the ISI has connections with terrorist groups,” The Hill quoted Marine Corps General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as saying to the Senate Armed Services Committee.
US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis told the Senate Armed Services Committee that they should try one more time to work with Pakistan in Afghanistan and if it fails, President Donald Trump can take whatever steps are necessary to address Islamabad’s alleged support for militant groups.
Acknowledging that global terrorism poses a threat to the world, Mattis had recently hit out at countries harbouring terrorists, saying ‘there can be no tolerance of terrorist safe havens’.
In a veiled attack on Pakistan, Mattis, during his two-day visit to India, said,” There can be no tolerance of terror safe havens as global leaders India and the United States resolve to work together to eradicate this scourge.”
Trump had recently criticised Pakistan for offering safe haven to “agents of chaos” while announcing US policy on Afghanistan.
Pakistan has been criticised many times for having links with the Taliban and for harbouring slain al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
The US had also withheld the disbursement of USD 350 million aid to Pakistan after Mattis informed the Congress that Islamabad has not taken sufficient measures to counter the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network.