NEW DELHI - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday said her country would go after terrorists in Pakistan if they posed a threat to America, Afghanistan or their allies in the region.
At a joint press conference with Indian External Affairs Minister SM Krishna after their meeting on the last day of her three-day visit to India, Clinton said the US was committed to going after terrorists in Pakistan.
"Terrorist groups still operate out of Pakistan. We are committed to going after those who pursue direct threats to the US, Afghanistan and our allies there," the visiting secretary warned.
She called Pakistan based Lashkar-i-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed the architect of the Mumbai attack, saying the US had already sent a message by announcing a reward on information leading to his arrest. Hillary said the $10 million award showed US commitment to fighting terrorism.
"Combating violent extremism is something we all agree on...Pakistan should do more in ensuring that terrorists don't make use as launching pads anywhere, including to attack the country and outside. The unfortunate thing is the attacks have taken the lives of 30,000 Pakistanis," Clinton added.
Her Indian counterpart Krishna said New Delhi wanted the elimination of terrorist sanctuaries in the neighborhood and Pakistan to take necessary steps in this regard.
"Recent attacks in Kabul highlight once again the need for elimination of terrorist sanctuaries in the neighborhood and the need for stronger action from Pakistan on terrorism, including on bringing to justice the perpetrators of the Mumbai terrorist attack," said Krishna.
Clinton supported Krishna by saying that Pakistan should do more to fight terrorism. Both expressed their commitment on Afghanistan, with the visiting dignitary praising India's efforts in Afghanistan, especially greater private sector investment.
She updated Krishna about the new strategic partnership agreement signed between US President Barack Obama and his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai.
"We discussed our vision for Afghanistan. We stressed the need for sustained international commitment to build Afghan capacity for governance, security and economic development…" Krishna concluded. (Pajhwok)