The United States has asked Pakistan to take sustained, verifiable and irreversible action against the perpetrators of terrorism, while warning the country꧙ that another terror attack on In✨dia will prove to be "extremely problematic".
"We need to see Pakistan taking concrete and sustained action 🐻to reign in the terrorist groups, mainly the Jaish-e-Mohammed and the Lashkar-e-Taiba in order to ensure that we don't have re-escalation (of tension) in the region," a senior administration official told reporters at the White Hou𝐆se on Wednesday.
"And, if there's any additional terrorist attack without Pakistan having made a sustained, sincere ef꧋fort against these groups, it would be extremely problematic for Pakistan and it would cause re-escalation of tensions, which is dangerous for both countries," the official said on the condition of anonymity.
Asked about the steps being taken by Pakistan in the aftermath of the Balakot air strike by Ind🍰ian fighter jets, the official said the US and the international community needed to see "irreversible and sustained" action against the terror groups.
"It's early to make a full assessment," the oꦓfficial said.
In the recent days, the official said💝 Pakistan has taken some "initial" actions. They have frozen the assets of some terrorist groups and made some arrests. They have taken administrative control of some of the JeM facilities, the official add🦹ed.
"But we clearly need to see more. We need to see irr❀eversible action because in the past, what we've seen is they made some arrests and then a few months later, they released these individuals. The terrorist leaders are sometimes still allowed to travel around the country, hold rallies," the official said.
Reiterating that the United Sta𝄹tes is looking for "irreversible action", the official said America is working w🍰ith its international partners to increase pressure on Pakistan. "Because it has been too long that these groups have been able to operate."
Observing that Pakistan has economic concerns as well, the official said the Financial Action Tasks Force (FATF) iꩵs one area which demonstrates the need for them to take these actions against terror groups. "Otherwise, they're at risk within the system and the FATF to be grey-listed," the official said.
Pakistan needs to decide if it wants to be viewed as a responsible international player and have access to all the financial mechan꧋isms that are available or is it going to continue to fail to take the steps necessary against these terrorist groups and see itself further isolated. "The choice is Pakistan's," the senior administratio🉐n official asserted.
While the situation between the two 🀅south Asian neighbours have de-escalated, the two armies are still on high al💟ert and that concerns the US, the official said.
"So, we realize that if there, God forb✱id, would be another terrorist attack that you could quickly see the escalation in the situation once again. So that's why, we're making clear that any additional military action by either side runs an unacceptably high risk, for both countries and for the region," the official said.
The Trump Administration, the official said, has taken ꦡsort of a "zero tolerance policy" on the💛 issue of safe havens to terrorists.
"The terror terrorist attack on February 14th on India was a demonstration that Pakistan's con🗹tinuing provision of sanctuary for any terrorist group is not acceptable," the ꦇofficial said.
During the height of the crisis -- February 26-28 -- the United States was in continuous co𓆏ntact with Indian and Pakistani officials, both on the ground in New Delhi and Islamabad.
"They were working the phones continuously and were deeply engaged in seeking to deescalate what was a 🉐very dangerous moment inꦍ India-Pakistan relations," the official said.
The United States has also reached out to influential countries to havꦛe them help deescalate the situation, the seniღor administration official said.
Some of these countries are China, Saudi Arab🅺ia, the UAE, Qatar, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japa��n and Australia.
(PTI)
