Washington (TDI): Pakistan has played a pivotal role in US counterterrorism efforts over the years, but it has never been a formal ally bound by treaty obligations, senior White House official John Kirby said.
This nuanced positioning highlights the delicate and complex nature of US-Pakistan ties, shaped by shared security concerns and divergent strategic priorities.
At a Washington briefing, White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby addressed the nature of the US-Pakistan ties, underlining the absence of any formal defence agreement, Dawn.com reported.
“Pakistan was never a technical ally of the US. I mean, there was no treaty of alliance with Pakistan,” he said in response to a query.
Despite this, Kirby stressed the long history of cooperation between the two nations, especially in combating terrorism in the volatile Afghanistan-Pakistan border region.
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“Certainly, over many, many years in the last couple of decades, we partnered with Islamabad as appropriate to deal with the terrorist threat that still exists on that spine between Afghanistan and Pakistan,” he said.
US Supports Pakistan’s Fight Against Terrorism
In August 2024, State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel had reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to preventing groups like the banned militant group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) from using Afghanistan as a base for launching terrorist attacks against neighbouring nations.
In September, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller asserted that Washington would continue to stand “shoulder to shoulder with Islamabad in its fight against terrorism”.
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Kirby also acknowledged the human cost of terrorism in Pakistan, recognising that its people continue to suffer from cross-border violence.
“We recognise that Pakistan is still fall victim to terrorist violence coming from across that border.”
“And we have, and for as long as we will be in office here, remain committed to working with Islamabad to address those common threats and challenges. And that’s not changed. It’s not going to change,” Kirby added.
