Premium
This is an archive article published on October 7, 2011

Barack Obama warns Pakistan on terror links

US President: 'Pakistani military’s ties with unsavoury characters troubling'.

US President Barack Obama today voiced concern over Pakistan’s military and intelligence services’ links with extremists,observing that Washington finds this “troubling”. Obama also said Pakistan should realise that a peaceful approach towards India would be in “everybody’s interests”.

Without naming the Haqqani network,with whom the ISI is said to have links,Obama described the extremists as “unsavoury characters”,adding,“there is no doubt that there’s some connections the Pakistani military and intelligence services have with certain individuals that we find troubling”.

Obama said Pakistan saw its “security interest threatened by an independent Afghanistan,in part because they think it will ally itself to India,and Pakistan still considers India their mortal enemy.” He said Pakistan should realise that “a peaceful approach towards India would be in everybody’s interests.”

Story continues below this ad

“I think they have hedged their bets in terms of what Afghanistan would look like,and part of hedging their bets is having interactions with some of the unsavoury characters who they think might end up regaining power in Afghanistan,” he said.

Saying the US would “constantly evaluate” its ties with Pakistan,he said “we’re not going to feel comfortable with a long-term strategic relationship if we don’t think that they’re mindful of our interests as well.” — PTI

Latest Comment
Post Comment
Read Comments
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement