Barack Obama to push Nawaz Sharif to do more to counter terrorism

Washington: As Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif arrived in Washington, the White House made clear that its top priority would be how to take on extremist elements inside Pakistan who have "committed terrible acts of terrorism."

The US "has an important security relationship with Pakistan, that our security forces have in a variety of ways been able to effectively coordinate our efforts in a way that enhances the national security of both the United States and Pakistan," the White spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters Tuesday.

President Barack Obama, who is set to meet Sharif at the White House on Thursday, he said will come "with some ideas about what more the Pakistanis could do to strengthen the relationship between our two countries and to advance the security interests of our two countries."

"Obviously there are extremist elements inside of Pakistan that have committed terrible acts of violence and terrible acts of terrorism inside of Pakistan," Earnest said describing it as a "shared priority of our two countries."

"This risk that we sense emanates from this broader region .is a threat that Pakistan has had to deal with firsthand, and it underscores the importance of our security relationship with the Pakistanis," he said.

Obama, Earnest indicated, would also discuss with Sharif the need to push the Taliban back into peace negotiations in Afghanistan, where the US in a policy reversal has decided to delay its troop drawdown beyond 2016.