Islamabad: A top Pakistani security adviser Monday told a visiting US regional envoy that the security forces are targeting all armed groups in the North Waziristan tribal region.
The comments came days after the US commander of NATO-led forces in Afghanistan, Gen. Joseph Dunford, said he has reservations about the overall effectiveness of the army operations in North Waziristan.
Dunford said Pakistani forces have had some success against the Pakistani Taliban and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) in North Waziristan, but that they certainly has not had the effect against the Haqqani network and others that Washington would want to have seen.
However, Pakistan's Advisor to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz told outgoing US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan James Dobbins in Islamabad that Pakistan was taking action again all militants in North Waziristan, Xinhua reported.
"The advisor highlighted Pakistan's monumental effort to address the threat of terrorism and underscored that the military operation was addressing this menace without any discrimination or distinction," a foreign ministry statement said.
Pakistani forces launched a major offensive codenamed "Zarb-e- Azb" against local and foreign militants June 15 and have killed nearly 450 militants.
"The two sides reiterated their resolve to further deepen the bilateral relationship and strengthen mutual consultations on Afghanistan post-2014 with a view to advancing the shared objectives of peace, stability and economic development in the region and beyond," the foreign ministry said.
Aziz welcomed the solution to the election crisis in Afghanistan and appreciated the efforts of US Secretary of State John Kerry, who had contributed to an amicable settlement on election-related issues.
"The advisor also underlined Pakistan's support for a peaceful democratic transition, underscoring its vital importance for stability in Afghanistan and the region," he said and reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to a peaceful, stable and united Afghanistan.
Dobbins arrived in Pakistan Monday on a farewell visit after meeting President Hamid Karzai in Kabul.
The advisor took the opportunity to laud Ambassador Dobbins' efforts for the promotion of stable, cooperative and durable relations between Pakistan and the US during his term as the special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
