A statement issued by Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal, emphasized that emergence of new and more deadly groups such as Daesh in Afghanistan call for enhancing international cooperation. "We are engaged with the US administration on the issue of security cooperation and await further details. Impact of the US decision on pursuit of common objectives is also likely to emerge more clearly in due course of time," it added.
It, however, needs to be appreciated that Pakistan has fought the war against terrorism largely from its own resources which has cost over $120 billion in 15 years, the Foreign Office asserted. "We are determined to continue to do all it takes to secure the lives of our citizens and broader stability in the region," it added. It also touched upon Pakistan's contribution in the war against terrorism and the benefits gained by the US directly, saying: "We believe that Pakistan-US cooperation in fighting terrorism has directly served US national security interests as well as the larger interests of international community."
"It [Pakistan's contribution] has helped decimate al Qaeda and fight other groups who took advantage of ungoverned spaces and a long porous border and posed a common threat to peace," the statement added. It further stated that through a series of major counterterrorism operations, Pakistan cleared all these areas resulting in elimination of organized terrorist presence leading to significant improvement in security in Pakistan.
The Foreign Office, however, underlined that Pakistan's efforts towards peace are awaiting reciprocal actions from the Afghan side in terms of clearance of vast stretches of ungoverned spaces on the Afghan side, bilateral border management, repatriation of Afghan refugees, controlling poppy cultivation, drug trafficking and initiating Afghan-led and owned political reconciliation in Afghanistan.
Following the US President Donald Trump's accusations through a tweet, the US State Department on Thursday announced that the US is suspending its entire security assistance to Pakistan 'until it proves its commitment to fight all terrorist groups operating in the region.' "The suspension will remain in effect until Pakistan takes decisive action against groups such as the Taliban that are destabilizing the region and targeting US personnel...Although Pakistan certainly has been helpful in some instances, they are not taking steps they need to take to fight terrorists," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told a news briefing in Washington.