New York– The United States has held a counterterrorism dialogue with Pakistan — a country that shelters numerous terrorists and extremist organizations — with both sides reaffirming their “shared commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” according to a joint statement.
The talks, held Tuesday in Islamabad, saw the U.S. “applaud Pakistan’s continued successes in containing terrorist entities that pose a threat to the peace and security of the region and the world.” The statement specifically named three groups — the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), ISIS-Khorasan, and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — but omitted at least five others and their affiliates that appear on the U.S. government’s list of terrorist organizations based in Pakistan.
Osama bin Laden, leader of al-Qaeda and mastermind of the September 11 attacks, was famously given refuge in Pakistan before being killed in a 2011 raid by U.S. Navy SEALs.
The dialogue was co-chaired by U.S. State Department Counterterrorism Coordinator Gregory LoGerfo and Nabeel Munir, Pakistan’s special secretary for the United Nations. In Washington, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the two nations “discussed ways to enhance cooperation to counter terrorist threats, and I think that is good for the region and for the world.”
Both sides emphasized that sustained, structured engagement is essential to combating terrorism and fostering regional peace and stability. The meeting is not the product of any recent warming in ties between U.S. President Donald Trump and Pakistan’s military leadership; it has been held annually since at least 2023 under President Joe Biden.
The statement noted that both delegations stressed “developing effective approaches to terrorist threats,” particularly from the three named groups. The dialogue came one day after Washington added the BLA and its affiliate, the Majeed Brigade (TMB), to its Foreign Terrorist Organizations list, imposing U.S. sanctions on both groups and their leaders.
The U.S. also expressed condolences for victims of terrorist attacks in Pakistan, including the hijacking of the Jafar Express train in April — claimed by the BLA — in which 31 civilians and security personnel were killed, and the suicide bombing of a school bus in Khuzdar in May that left ten civilians dead, including eight students. Pakistan has also blamed the BLA for that attack.
According to the statement, both countries agreed to strengthen institutional frameworks, enhance counterterrorism capabilities, and address the use of emerging technologies for terrorist purposes. They also pledged cooperation in international forums such as the United Nations, where Pakistan currently holds a non-permanent seat on the Security Council.
Notably, the joint statement made no mention of other U.S.-designated terrorist organizations operating from Pakistan, including Hizbul Mujahideen, Jaysh al-Adl/Jundallah, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Harakat ul-Mujahidin, and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, along with four affiliates such as The Resistance Front — the group responsible for the Pahalgam massacre in April, which was added to the U.S. terror list last month. (Source: IANS)
