The United States on Tuesday said it will continue to stand “shoulder to shoulder with Pakistan” in its fighter against terrorism, as the State Department addressed queries on last month’s spate of attacks in Balochistan targeting security officials and civilians.
Last month, a series of terror attacks across Balochistan, claimed by the banned Balochistan Liberation Army, killed over 70 people, including an incident in Musakhail during which armed men offloaded passengers from trucks and buses and shot non-Baloch after checking their identity cards. Earlier on Tuesday, during a meeting with U.S. Ambassador Donald Blome, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar urged the U.S. to help Pakistan deal with economic and security challenges.
In a daily press briefing, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller was questioned about Pakistan’s requests for help. “The United States and Pakistan have a shared interest in combatting threats to regional security, and we will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with Pakistan in its fight against terrorism,” he said, noting the Pakistani people had “suffered greatly at the hands of violent extremist terrorists and our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of those killed.”
To another question on Iran’s final notice to Pakistan on a long-pending gas pipeline project—lack of progress on which can impose an $18 billion fine on Islamabad—Miller said the U.S. would continue to impose sanctions on Iran. “And as a matter of course, we also advise anyone considering business deals with Iran to be aware of the potential ramifications,” he added.
However, he said, it was a “priority” for Washington to help Pakistan address its energy shortage, adding that discussions on energy security were ongoing with the Pakistani government.