US' top general terms Pakistan a 'phenomenal partner in counter-terrorism'

A top US general has described Pakistan as a "phenomenal partner in the counter-terrorism world," and stressed that the United States "have to have" a relationship with both Pakistan and India.

"... right now what we saw is the Taliban is going after ISIS-K (Khorasan)...they hate each other, pushed a lot of them into the tribal areas on the Afghan-Pakistan border through a phenomenal partnership with Pakistan. They have gone after ISIS Khorasan, killing dozens of them. Through a relationship we have with them providing intelligence, they (Pakistan) have captured at least 5 ISIS Khorasan high-value individuals," General Michael 'Erik' Kurilla, who heads the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), said during a congressional hearing.

He also praised Islamabad for extraditing Mohammad Sharifullah aka Jafar, an ISIS-K member, to America. In March, the U.S. Justice Department indicted Sharifullah for his involvement in the August 2021 suicide attack at Kabul’s international airport in Afghanistan.


The bombing victims included 13 American military personnel.

"They extradited back Jafar who was one of the key individuals behind the Abbey Gate bombing. And the first person they called, (Pakistan's) chief of the army staff was me and, said 'I've caught him, I'm willing to extradite him back to the United States. Please tell the secretary of defense and the president'," Kurilla stated.

"So we are seeing Pakistan with, with limited intelligence that we're providing them, go after them using their means to do that...I would honestly tell you that since 2024 the beginning, Pakistan hold over 1000 terrorist attacks in the Western area killing about 700 security and civilians and 2500 they're in an active counterterrorism fight right now. And they have been a phenomenal partner in the counterterrorism world," he added.

Further, he said that it can't be that America has ties with India but not with Pakistan, and vice versa.

"We have to have a relationship with Pakistan and India. I do not believe there's a binary switch that we can't have one with Pakistan if we have a relationship with India. We should look at the merits of the relationship for the positives it has," the American general noted.

(With TOI inputs)