ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday said no militant group would be allowed to operate on Pakistani soil and carry out attacks abroad, days after his government began a crackdown against Islamist militant organisations.
“This government will not allow Pakistan’s land to be used for any kind of outside terrorism,” Khan said on Friday while addressing a public rally in southern Pakistan. “We will not allow any militant group to function in our country now.” Pakistan began a crackdown against militant groups this week amid growing international pressure in the wake of a bombing in Indian-controlled Kashmir by a militant group based in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the United States has asked Pakistan to take “sustained, irreversible action” against militant groups operating from its soil, including by denying them “safe haven” and blocking their access to funds, a top State Department official has said.
US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino’s remarks came on Thursday, after Islamabad launched earlier this week a crackdown on militant groups.
The US State Department official told the media: “The US notes these steps and we continue to urge Pakistan to take sustained, irreversible action against terrorist groups that will prevent future attacks and that will promote regional stability.
“And we reiterate our call for Pakistan to abide by its UN Security Council obligations to deny terrorists safe haven and block their entry to funds.”
The spokesperson didn’t give a direct answer on the move in New York to designate Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, but said the US and its allies in the UNSC “would continue to work with the sanctions committee to ensure that the UN list of terrorist organisations and leaders was updated and accurate.
“Our views on Masood Azhar and the JeM are well-known. The JeM is a UN-designated terrorist group that has been responsible for numerous terrorist attacks and is a threat to regional stability. Masood Azhar is the founder and leader of the JeM. “We will continue to work with the sanctions committee to ensure that the list [of terrorist organisations and leaders] is updated and that it’s accurate.”
- with inputs from agencies
