The remarks come in the wake of the February 14 Pulwama terror attack by JeM on a CRPF convoy, which was followed by the February 26 air strike
Seeking "sustained, verifiable and irreversible action against the perpetrators of terrorism", the United States has warned Islamabad that another terror attack on India will prove to be "extremely problematic" for Pakistan.
In one of the toughest messages to India's neighbour in recent times, a senior official from the US administration asked Pakistan to decide whether it wants to be viewed as a responsible global player and have access to all financial mechanisms available, or is it going to continue to fail to take the steps necessary against terrorist groups operating from its soil and see itself further isolated.
"The choice is Pakistan's," the White House official told local media on Wednesday (local time).
Spelling out the agenda clearly, the official said the US wants to see Pakistan taking concrete and sustained action to reign in Pakistan-based terrorist groups, mainly Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Toiba, in order to avoid a re-escalation (of tensions) in the region.
The remarks come in the wake of the February 14 Pulwama terror attack by JeM on a CRPF convoy, which was followed by the February 26 air strike, when IAF fighter jets crossed the Line of Control to attack a JeM base camp in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the official said the US and the international community needed to see "irreversible and sustained" action against the terror groups. The official acknowledged that Washington has seen some "initial actions", but wants Islamabad to do more.
"They have frozen the assets of some terrorist groups and made some arrests. They have taken administrative control of some of the JeM facilities. But we clearly need to see more. We need to see irreversible 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 added.
Observing that Pakistan has economic concerns as well, the official said the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is 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. He further said that America was working with its international partners to further pressure Pakistan. "Because it has been too long that these groups have been able to operate," he added.
Admitting that tension between the two countries has de-escalated, but the two armies were still on high alert and that concerns the US.
"So, we realise that if there, God forbid, would be another terrorist attack, then 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 sort of a "zero tolerance policy" on the issue of safe havens to terrorists. "The terrorist attack on February 14 on India was a demonstration that Pakistan's continuing provision of sanctuary for any terrorist group is not acceptable," the official said.
During the height of the crisis — February 26-28 — the United States was in continuous contact with Indian and Pakistani officials, both on the ground in New Delhi and Islamabad.
‘NOT ACCEPTABLE’
The February 14 terrorist attack on India was a demonstration that Pakistan’s continuing provision of sanctuary for any terrorist group is not acceptable: US official
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