US should stop military support to Pakistan if it doesn't act against terror: Think-tank

New Delhi: The United States must stop its military support to Pakistan if it doesn't act against terror groups, a leading global think-tank said on Friday.

Washington's role will be crucial in pressurizing Islamabad to act against the Taliban factions in Pakistan, the International Crisis Group (ICG) said.

Taliban's Quetta Shura and the Haqqani Network factions said to have an extensive support base in Pakistan.

In its 'Watch List 2017', the ICG has observed that Washington is “best placed” to pressure Pakistan to stop its support to Taliban, TOI reported.

"Islamabad remains unwilling to facilitate talks between the Taliban and Kabul, and continues supporting its Afghan proxies, allowing them to recruit, fundraise, as well as conduct operations from safe havens inside Pakistan.

“Worse, closer ties between Kabul and New Delhi, are viewed as provocative by Islamabad, TOI quoted the ICG's report titled ”Afghanistan: Growing Challenges" as saying.

Hence it's up to the US to pressure Pakistan to abandon its support to terror.

"The US role will be central, including by conditioning continued military support to Islamabad on Pakistan working with Kabul to bring the insurgents to the negotiating table.

And rethinking its support to the Taliban's Quetta Shura and the Haqqani Network, now fully integrated into the insurgency's command structure," the think-tank noted.

Pakistan is the third-largest recipient of US foreign assistance. In 2016, it totalled nearly $1 billion, down from a peak of over $3.5 billion in 2011, the report said, citing US government data.