Blinken calls Bilawal, discusses economy, Afghan issue

WASHINGTON: United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari over Pakistan’s economy and Afghanistan-related issues.

Pakistan has been facing rising cross-border terrorism, with local authorities blaming Kabul for harbouring terrorists — especially the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

According to State Department’s spokesperson Matthew Miller, Secretary Blinken reaffirmed a “productive US-Pakistan partnership” in a phone conversation with FM Bilawal.

The secretary noted the Pakistani people have suffered tremendously from terrorist attacks and affirmed the United States’ commitment to continued partnership with Pakistan on counterterrorism.

The secretary and foreign minister also discussed the destabilising effects of Russia’s war against Ukraine as well as the United States and Pakistan’s shared interest in a peaceful and stable Afghanistan.

The call came hours after US Central Command (Centcom) chief, General Michael Erik Kurilla, discussed the regional security situation with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir during a meeting in Rawalpindi.

Apart from the regional security situation, matters of mutual interest and defence cooperation were also discussed, the military’s media wing mentioned in a statement.

Both nations — Pakistan and US — have called on war-torn Afghanistan to ensure that its soil isn’t used as a safe haven by terrorists.

The US had last week reiterated that the Afghan Taliban must ensure that their country isn’t used for terror attacks, while the Pakistan Army’s top brass said that sanctuaries and liberty of action available to terrorists of proscribed TTP and other groups of that ilk in Afghanistan is one of the major reasons impacting the security of Islamabad.