The United States and Pakistan had a counter-terrorism dialogue, reaffirming their "collective commitment to fighting terrorism in all its manifestations and forms," according to a joint statement. The dialogue was held on Tuesday in Islamabad despite the fact that Pakistan is host to various terrorist groups and terrorists.
In the statement, the US "lauded Pakistan's ongoing achievements in holding back terrorist groups that threaten the peace and security of the region and the world."
Although the statement mentioned three particular organisations — the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), ISIS-Khorasan, and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — it completely avoided mentioning at least five other Pakistan-based groups and their units that are already listed as terrorist groups by Washington.
Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, was harbored in Pakistan until he was killed by US Navy SEALs during a 2011 raid.
The discussion was co-chaired by US State Department's Coordinator for Counterterrorism Gregory LoGerfo and Pakistan's United Nations Special Secretary, Nabeel Munir. Addressing the nation in Washington, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said that the talks centered on "ways to boost cooperation to counter terrorist threats, and I think that is good for the region and for the world.
The statement highlighted that "both sides underlined that the enduring and disciplined engagement is essential to defeating terrorism and fostering peace and stability."
This forum is not a result of recent political coziness between the two countries; it has been conducted every year since at least 2023, during the presidency of Joe Biden.
Both delegations "emphasized the urgent need to develop an effective strategy to counter terrorist threats, including those from" the three organizations mentioned in the statement. Hours before the negotiations, the US formally designated the BLA and its splinter group, The Mujaheed Brigade (TMB), as Foreign Terrorist Organisations and imposed sanctions on them as well as their leaders.
The release also expressed US sympathies for terror victims in Pakistan, including the dead from the "barbaric" Jaffar Express attack and the Khuzdar school bus bombing. The BLA took responsibility for the April hijacking of the Jaffar Express, when 31 civilians and security officials were killed. Islamabad has accused the BLA of the May suicide bombing of a school bus in Khuzdar, which killed ten, including eight children.
Both sides also concurred on "strengthening institutional mechanisms and building the capability to address security threats and to deter the misuse of new technologies for terrorist ends," and strengthening cooperation in international organizations like the UN, where Pakistan is presently on the Security Council.
Most importantly, the joint statement left out several other Pakistan-based entities on the US Foreign Terrorist Organisation list such as Hizbul Mujahideen, Jaysh al-Adl/Jundallah, Lashkar i Jhangvi, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Harakat ul-Mujahidin, and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, as well as affiliates such as The Resistance Front, which conducted the Pahalgam massacre in April and was added to the list last month.
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