Need to 'squeeze out' terrorist: Donald Trump's new pick goes after Pakistan

US senators pointed out that Pakistani actions so far seems to be contradictory.

Pic courtesy: Pixabay

WASHINGTON: As India resumed its anti-terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir, a top US commander launched a fiery attack on Pakistan for providing safe haven to terrorists. 

Army Lieutenant General Austin 'Scott' Miller – President Donald's Trump’s latest pick to head the US-led military forces in Afghanistan – called for better “cooperation and coordination” from Islamabad in the fight against terrorism on Tuesday. 

"We have to squeeze out safe havens (from Pakistan) if we're going to be successful here (Afghanistan),” Miller said while responding to a question on achieving a long-term stability in Afghanistan.

“It’s obviously a very tough neighborhood with some tough neighbors,” General Miller told US lawmakers, as reported by the Washington Post. “Pakistan must be part of the solution, and we should have high expectations that they are part of the solution.”

Expressing disappointment in Pakistan, the 57-year old military veteran, said, “As I look at Pakistan, Pakistan must be part of the solution, and we should have high expectations that they are part of the solution, not just diplomatically but from a security standpoint as well.”

The US, he said, ought to have high expectations from Pakistan to address the issues like the presence of Haqqani network and safe havens.

Miller’s comments came five days after Pakistan Taliban chief Mullah Fazlullah was reportedly killed in a US drone strike in eastern Afghanistan’s Kunar Province.  

Pakistan's own stability and prosperity will benefit from peace in Afghanistan, he added. 

The US senators, however, pointed out that Pakistani actions so far seems to be contradictory. 

While unveiling the South Asia strategy in August 2017, Trump had accused Pakistan of giving "safe haven to agents of chaos, violence, and terror", a fact reiterated by India time and again.

With agency inputs