WASHINGTON: The United Sta­tes has welcomed Pakistan’s assurance that Zarb-i-Azb operation is directed against all militants, including the Haqqani Network, but has also asked Islamabad not to allow the Haqqanis to resettle.

In a written response to Dawn, a State Department official said the prime minister’s special assistant for foreign affairs, Tariq Fatemi, met US Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns in Washington earlier this week and both sides reaffirmed their commitment to cooperating on a full range of bilateral issues, including counter-terrorism. “They discussed the ongoing military operation in North Waziristan and the Deputy welcomed public comments by senior Pakistani officials that they are taking action against all terrorists and their sanctuaries without regard for affiliation,” the official said.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2014