Amid increasing criticism and suspension of security aid for Pakistan by the United States, the foreign diplomats stationed in Islamabad were briefed on Pakistan’s achievements and challenges in its counter-terrorism efforts by the top civil-military leadership on Wednesday, the Foreign Office said in a statement.

Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, Chief of General Staff (CGS) Bilal Akbar, director general military operations (DGMO), director general military intelligence (DGMI) and the foreign secretary briefed the ambassadors and heads of missions of different nations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Welcoming the envoys, the foreign minister said that the briefing had been arranged to "inform the diplomatic corps about the massive counter-terrorism efforts that Pakistan [has] undertaken in the last 16 years, more so the developments in the last 4 years", the FO statement read.

See: Pakistan’s losses in war on terror fail to impact US discourse

The attendees were provided details of operations Zarb-i-Azb and Raddul Fasaad in eliminating terrorism in Pakistan and apprised of threat "emanating from safe havens and sanctuaries in Afghanistan".

They were briefed "on how Indian belligerence and unhelpful posturing is distracting Pakistan’s counter-terrorism efforts" and that the nexus of Indian and Afghan intelligence agencies is contributing to instability in the country.

The FO said the diplomats were also shown evidence of an Indian campaign of "unprecedented ceasefire violations, provocations and insinuations including terrorism in the form of IED attacks against innocent civilians on the Pakistan side of the Line of Control and the Working Boundary".

"These Indian activities constitute an unfortunate 'new normal' aimed at destabilising the entire region," it added.

The foreign dignitaries condoled the loss of human lives in the terrorist attack in Quetta yesterday. The CGS informed the diplomatic corps that the attack had been traced back to Afghanistan.

The briefing comes days after the United States suspended security aid to Pakistan and US President Donald Trump said the country had given the US "nothing but lies and deceit".

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