US stands with Pakistan against terrorism emanating from Afghanistan: Rubio
Rubio says Washington supports Pakistan’s fight against terrorism and wants to prevent attacks originating from Afghanistan.
WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has expressed support for Pakistan’s efforts to combat terrorism, saying Washington does not want the country to become a target of terrorist attacks emanating from Afghanistan.
Speaking about Pakistan’s security concerns, Rubio said Islamabad had repeatedly maintained that the Afghan Taliban were not taking effective measures to prevent terrorist groups from using Afghan territory to launch attacks against Pakistan.
He said Pakistan had taken action because of what it viewed as the Taliban’s failure to take adequate steps to address the threat.
“The United States does not want Pakistan to be a target of terrorism,” the US secretary of state said, acknowledging concerns over terrorist attacks originating from Afghanistan.
Rubio’s remarks come amid continued tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan over cross-border terrorism, with Islamabad urging the Afghan Taliban administration to prevent militant groups from using Afghan soil against Pakistan.
Separately, commenting on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, Rubio said he could not predict with certainty whether diplomatic negotiations would ultimately lead to peace.
He acknowledged that no one was claiming a peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv was imminent, but stressed that the United States was making efforts to prevent the conflict from causing further destruction and casualties.
Rubio said Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, was facing repeated attacks on its energy infrastructure, with strikes continuing to damage critical facilities and disrupt civilian life.
He also expressed concern over the mounting human cost of the conflict, saying casualties were continuing to rise as the war dragged on. He cited figures indicating that around 20,000 people were being killed in Russia every month.
Describing the conflict as exceptionally deadly and destructive, Rubio warned that every additional month of fighting was bringing further devastation and loss of life.
He said Washington was working to bring the war to an end and establish a viable diplomatic path towards a lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine.
