In response to US senator’s remarks on links between Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI) and a number of terrorist groups in the region, the Pakistani military argued that it is the job of intelligence agencies to maintain such connections, like reported by tolonews.com.
However, the Pakistani military rejected support to any terrorist group in the region.
“Please understand, having links, and supporting (armed groups) are two different things,” said Major General Asif Ghafoor, the Pakistani military’s spokesperson, at a press conference in the northern garrison city of Rawalpindi on Thursday.
“Name an intelligence agency of any country that does not have links (to armed groups). Everyone does. If you have the links to finish the threat, then that is a positive contribution,” he said as quoted in a report by Al Jazeera.
The remarks were made in response to Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, who told members of the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee during a Congressional hearing this week that Pakistan’s ISI has connections with terrorist groups.
“I think it’s clear to me that the ISI has connections with terrorist groups,” Dunford said.
He was responding to a question from Senator Joe Donnelly.
Donnelly had asked Dunford if he thought the ISI was still helping the Taliban.
Over the past several years, Dunford said, the US has had a bilateral approach to trying to effect a change in Pakistan’s behaviour.
The strong statements on ISI and Pakistan from top officials of the Trump Administration came hours before the Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif landed in Washington on a three-day visit.
Asif is scheduled to meet the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and the National Security Adviser H R McMaster and address the think-tank community at the US Institute of Peace.
