US defence chief nominee General Lloyd J Austin on Tuesday said that he will press Pakistan to prevent its territory from being used as a sanctuary for militants and violent extremist organisations.
Austin, who served as the 12th commander of United States Central Command, made these remarks during his confirmation hearing for the post of secretary of defence before the United States Senate Armed Services Committee.
“I will press Pakistan to prevent its territory from being used as a sanctuary for militants and violent extremist organisations. Continuing to build relationships with Pakistan’s military will provide openings for the United States and Pakistan to cooperate on key issues,” he was quoted as saying by the DAWN.
Llyod further said that his strategy will include training forthcoming Pakistani military leaders through the use of International Military Education.
“I will be training future Pakistan military leaders through the use of International Military Education and Training funds,” he said.
Llyod James Austin is an American retired four-star Army general who became the first black commander of the United States Central Command. On December 8, 2020, President-elect Joe Biden announced his intention to nominate Austin as Secretary of Defence.
However, his confirmation was delayed after he was told to obtain a congressional exemption from a law that bars recently retired active-duty officers from serving in the top Pentagon job.
While only the Senate votes to confirm the secretary, House approval of General Austin’s waiver is also required. The House Armed Services Committee told that it will not be holding a hearing on the matter until the day after Mr Biden is sworn in.
This meant that Lloyd Austin would miss the inaugural ceremony of Joe Biden as a confirmed Secretary of State.
