LAHORE: The Foreign Office (FO) has said that the country’s officials were engaged with the US administration on the issue of security cooperation and were awaiting further details.
The FO on Friday issued a statement saying that Pakistan has fought the war against terrorism largely from its own resources and it has cost the country $120 billion over 15 years.
A spokesperson for the US State Department on Thursday, Heather Nauert said that the cut-off was not permanent and only affects military assistance. The plan to cut security assistance for Pakistan comes as the Trump administration seeks more cooperation from Islamabad as part of its strategy in Afghanistan, added Nauert.
“Pakistan has fought the war against terrorism largely from its own resources which has cost over $120 billion in 15 years,” said the statement released by the FO.
The statement by the FO added that the country is determined to continue to do all it takes to secure the lives of its citizens and broader stability in the region.
“We are engaged with the United States administration on the issue of security cooperation and await further details.”
It read that the cooperation between Pakistan and US in fighting terrorism has directly served US national security interests as well as the larger interests of the international community.
“It has helped decimate al-Qaeda and fight other groups who took advantage of ungoverned spaces, a long porous border and posed a common threat to peace.”
Through a series of major counter-terrorism operations Pakistan cleared all these areas resulting in elimination of organised terrorist presence leading to significant improvement in security in Pakistan.
“Our efforts towards peace are awaiting reciprocal actions from the Afghan side in terms of clearance of vast stretches of ungoverned spaces, bilateral border management, repatriation of Afghan refugees, controlling poppy cultivation, drug trafficking and initiating Afghan-led and owned political reconciliation in Afghanistan,” the statement adds.
