Pakistan Cannot Continue to Be a Sanctuary for Haqqani and Taliban: Dunford

AVA- There’s a key assumption in our — in the president’s South Asia strategy, that Pakistan cannot continue to be a sanctuary for Haqqani, Taliban and others,” General Joseph Dunford, Chairman of U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Dunford has emphasized that the existence of terrorist sanctuaries on Pakistan’s soil was unacceptable.

“We ought to bring the full weight of the U.S. government and our coalition partners on Pakistan to ensure that they do not provide the sanctuary that they have provided historically to groups like Haqqani and the Taliban,” he added.

An Afghan official says that regional countries are also tired of Pakistan’s unwillingness to act against terrorist groups in its soil.

“The view of the Central Asian countries is that a solution or an ending must be sought to the sources which provide safe haven to the insurgent groups,” Mirwais Nab the Afghan ambassador to Turkmenistan said,” all Central Asian countries have come to the conclusion that Afghan security forces are in the frontline to defend the interest of the Central Asian countries.”

Military commentators in Kabul demands the U.S. to take action on its words and impose sanctions against Pakistan.

“Right now, the U.S. and its allies must impose sanctions against Pakistan,” Javid Kohistani a military expert said.