A US State Department spokesperson said on Wednesday that the United States supports Pakistan's efforts to combat terrorism, after the country announced the launch of 'Operation Azm-e-Istehkam'.
When questioned about the new operation and the US response to its announcement during a weekly media briefing, Matthew Miller, the State Department spokesperson, stated: "The Pakistani people have suffered tremendously from terrorist attacks. No country should have to suffer such acts of terror. The United States and Pakistan have a shared interest in combating threats to regional security."
He further said: "We support Pakistan’s efforts to combat terrorism and ensure the safety and security of its citizens in a manner that promotes the rule of law and protection of human rights."
During a press briefing, he continued that Washington's partnership with Islamabad includes a high-level counterterrorism dialogue, including funding robust counterterrorism capacity-building programmes and supporting a series of US-Pakistan military-to-military engagements.
Last week, the government decided to launch the operation amid an increase in terrorist incidents as a “collective multidimensional operation and national vision of the entire state system”.
According to the PM Office, the new counter-terrorism push was approved with the consensus of all stakeholders, including the four provinces as well as Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
However, opposition parties, including the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), and the Awami National Party (ANP), have expressed concerns over the military operation, demanding that parliament be taken into confidence before taking any such decision.
Mob violence
Meanwhile, Miller was also inquired about the recent spate of mob violence and attacks in the country and the level of concern Washington has regarding the escalation of such incidents.
"We are extremely concerned by those reports. We are always concerned by incidents of religiously motivated violence. Violence or the threat of violence against another person is never an acceptable form of expression, and we oppose blasphemy laws everywhere in the world, including in Pakistan," he replied.
The spokesperson further said such acts undermine the exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of religion or belief. He asserted that the US persists in urging the authorities of Pakistan to uphold the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all individuals.
"Both — we make that clear both publicly and privately. This includes freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom of association, and the right to peaceful assembly," he said.
