The United States and Pakistan will now be fighting together to tackle leading militant groups, including the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), ISIS-Khorasan, and the Taliban. Both nations have agreed to deepen the diplomatic ties during their Tuesday bilateral counterterrorism dialogue in Islamabad. The talks came a day after the US designated the Pakistan-based BLA a Foreign Terrorist Organisation.
The dialogue was co-chaired by Nabeel Munir, Pakistan's Special Secretary for the UN, and Gregory D. LoGerfo, the Acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism at the US Department of State. According to a joint statement issued after the meeting, the two sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to combating terrorism in "all its forms and manifestations".
“Both delegations underscored the critical importance of developing effective approaches to terrorist threats, including those posed by Balochistan Liberation Army, ISIS-Khorasan, and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan,” the statement added.
The US and Pakistan reaffirmed the long-standing partnership between the two countries, stressing how the "sustained and structured engagement" is important to counter terrorism and promote peace and stability. The US further recognised and applauded Islamabad for its "continued successes in containing terrorist entities that pose a threat to the peace and security of the region and the world".
Both delegations emphasised the importance of building stronger institutional frameworks and developing capabilities to respond to security challenges and to counter the use of emerging technologies for terrorist purposes.
They also reaffirmed their intention to work closely in multilateral fora, including the United Nations, to "promote effective and enduring approaches to counterterrorism". The relations between Pakistan and the US have seen an improvement in recent months, as witnessed by back-to-back visits of Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir to the US and having high-profile interactions, including with President Donald Trump.
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