WASHINGTON (TIP): Pakistan must take “forceful actions” against the dreaded Haqqani network and the Lashkar- e-Taiba in a manner similar to the way they campaigned against the Pakistani Taliban, a top Obama administration official has said.
“Just as they have vigorously pursued the Pakistani Taliban, they must take equally forceful actions against groups like the Haqqani Network, which pose serious threats to American (and Afghan) lives and resources, and Lashkar-e- Taiba, which has the potential to destabilize the region,” Dan Feldman, special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, said.
Having just returned from his final trip to the AfPak region, Feldman acknowledged that there has not been much change in Pakistan’s approach vis-a-vis the Haqqani Network and the LeT — the two terrorist organizations that pose a threat not only to the US but also India. Feldman was speaking at the US Institute of Peace (USIP) in Washington on Wednesday.
Feldman, who has been Obama administration’s point man for Afghanistan and Pakistan for past one year, is now leaving the US government for the private sector.