The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States General Joseph Dunford has confirmed that the military intelligence of Pakistans military, Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), has connections with the terror group.
Gen. Dunford informed in this regard while briefing the US lawmakers in the Senate Armed Services Committee.
"It is clear to that ISI has connections with the terrorist groups," Gen. Dunford said.
This comes as the Afghan and US officials are saying that the conflict in the country has links with the sanctuaries of the terrorist groups, particularly the Taliban and Haqqani network which have remained intact in the key cities of Pakistan.
While announcing the new US strategy for Afghanistan and South Asia late in August, the US President Donald Trump strongly criticized Pakistan regarding the terror sanctuaries, saying "For its part, Pakistan often gives safe haven to agents of chaos, violence, and terror. The threat is worse because Pakistan and India are two nuclear-armed states whose tense relations threaten to spiral into conflict. And that could happen."
On the other hand, the foreign minister of Pakistan Khawajah Asif admitted last month that terrorist groups and its leaders like Haqqanis are liabilities in yet another gesture the groups were nurtured and have remained intact in the country despite growing international pressures.
Speaking at an event at the Asia Society in New York, Asif said asked Washington to stop blaming Islamabad for the Haqqani network and other terrorist networks, including the one being led by Hafiz Saeed.
"It is very easy to say Pakistan is floating the Haqqanis and Hafiz Saeed and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). They are liabilities. I accept that they are liabilities, but give us time to get rid of them because we dont have the assets to match these liabilities and you are increasing them [our liabilities] further," he said.
LINK: https://www.ansarpress.com/english/9018
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