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Pakistan is phenomenal counterterrorism partner: US Centcom
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- Web Desk
- Jun 11, 2025
WASHINGTON: US Central Command Chief Gen Michael Kurilla described Pakistan as a “phenomenal counterterrorism partner”, as he testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.
During the hearing, Gen Kurilla praised Pakistan for the role it has been playing in the global counterterrorism efforts.
In this connection, he said Pakistan had helped the US in achieving several successes through intelligence sharing.
Gen Kurilla revealed that close intelligence cooperation with Pakistan resulted in the death or arrest of dozens of terrorists. It also included the arrest of at least five most-wanted members of ISIS-K (also known as Daesh”, he added.
Earlier in March, US President Donald Trump told Congress that an Afghan national, involved in planning the deadly August 2021 bombing at Kabul airport, had been arrested with Pakistan’s assistance.
Read more: US releases $397 million frozen counterterrorism aid for Pakistan
The attack took place while US forces were helping the evacuation from the city following the Taliban’s Kabul takeover.
PAKISTAN-AFGHANISTAN BORDER
The Centcom chief said terrorist groups were active in the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
About the effects of terrorism on Pakistan, he said the South Asian nation had faced more than 1,000 terrorists attack since 2014.
Through his statement, the US general endorsed the multiple UN findings that Afghanistan had become a terrorism hotbed since the Taliban took over Kabul in August 2021.
However, he claimed that the terrorist activities of ISIS-K (Daesh) were on a decline because of a weakened organisation.
Pakistan has repeatedly told the Taliban leaders in Afghanistan that the terrorists using the Afghan soil are using modern weapons left behind by the United States military for cross-border terrorism.
At the same time, Pakistan has repeatedly reiterated to continue taking “all necessary measures” to protect the country from terrorist outfits in Afghanistan.
NO INDIAN SUPREMACY?
However, perhaps the most important point coming out of this session is the negation of Indian hegemonic designs.
“We need to, have to have a relationship with Pakistan, and with India. I do not believe it is a binary switch that we can’t have one with Pakistan if we have a relationship with India. We should look at the merits of the relationship for the positives that it has”.
This statement negates Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policy that India should be regarded as the world, or at least regional power, at the expense of others.
Hence, it is not a surprise that the established Indian experts and analysts, who are not part of Team Modi, are ready to accept the facts.
