US stresses security relationship with Pakistan, refrains from confirming possible revival of \u2018security cooperation\u2019
\n Washington
\nThe United States has reiterated that the security relationship with Pakistan is \u2018important\u2019 and that many of the threats that Islamabad faces \u201ccould well in turn be threats to us\u201d.
\nHowever, Washington shied away from confirming reports of a possible resumption of security cooperation with Islamabad which was suspended during the Trump era.
\nState Department Spokesperson Ned Price, when asked about the visit of a defense delegation from Pakistan and the rumored resumption of security cooperation, stated that Islamabad is \u201cvalued across many realms\u201d.
\nRefraining from providing any details on the matter, Price said that \u201cPakistan is a valued partner of the United States. Of course, we have a security relationship that is important to us knowing that many of the threats Pakistan faces could well in turn be threats to us. And so we value the work we do together, but I\u2019m just not in a position to offer anything beyond that.\u201d
\nDuring the briefing, in response to another question, the spokesperson also reiterated the US\u2019s resolve to support \u201cthe peaceful upholding of democratic, constitutional, and legal principles\u201d and that it values the \u201clongstanding cooperation with Pakistan\u201d that it enjoys.
\nSpeaking specifically about former prime minister Imran Khan\u2019s decision to back-track on his claims that the US was behind his ouster, Price said \u201cwe do not let propaganda, misinformation, disinformation get in the way of any bilateral relationship. [\u2026] When it comes to various political players inside of Pakistan, we don\u2019t have a position on one political candidate or party versus another.\u201d
\nPreviously, a US foreign policy and national security expert had explained that while the Biden administration has been trying to work with Pakistan on various issues, including on Afghanistan, it was not concerned with the change in the civilian set-up in Pakistan as \u201cany change in the civilian political system really has a very marginal effect on the issues that the US cares the most about\u201d.
\nWhile a recent United States Institute for Peace (USIP) has deemed the TTP not to be a major threat to the United States, the US has consistently expressed interest in the upsurge in terror attacks.
\nAgainst the backdrop of the recent Peshawar Police Lines terrorist attack that killed hundreds, the US had said that Pakistan will continue to be its \u201cstalwart partner\u201d in the fight against terrorism.
\nSimilarly, in January, the US supported Pakistan\u2019s right to defend itself from terrorism, saying that the Pakistani people had \u201csuffered tremendously\u201d from such attacks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
US stresses security relationship with Pakistan, refrains from confirming possible revival of \u2018security cooperation\u2019 Washington The United States has reiterated that the security relationship with Pakistan is \u2018important\u2019 and that many of the threats that Islamabad faces \u201ccould well in turn be threats to us\u201d. However, Washington shied away from confirming reports of a possible […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":314209,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-314193","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n