Pentagon praises Pakistan’s ability to sustain pressure on Taliban

[Naveed Yaseen]

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon on Wednesday acknowledged the Pakistan Army’s ability to sustain pressure against extremist groups along the Afghan border over the last several months. “We have seen great progress by the Pakistani military over the past several months. And we are pleased with that progress,” Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said. “The issue had always been the willingness and the ability of the Pakistani military to sustain the pressure they needed to put on terrorist groups in their midst. And I think they have shown over the past several months the ability to sustain that pressure and that’s the key to our success in Afghanistan,” he said. Morrell also talked about the problem of cross-border movement by the Taliban and said the US and its allies needed Pakistan’s pressure on the extremists present at the porous Afghan border. “We need the pressure from Pakistan for us ultimately to be successful in Afghanistan, just as the Pakistanis need us and the Afghan military to maintain pressure on the Afghan side of the border, so that the Taliban don’t become stronger in Pakistan,” he said. app

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