Washington (National Times) The US State Department on Wednesday said that no country should face the kind of terrorist attacks Pakistani people have suffered from, adding that Washington has a shared interest with Islamabad in combating threats to regional security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Saturday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led federal government approved a reinvigorated and re-energised national counter-terrorism campaign \u2014 originally titled Operation Azm-i-Istehkam but later rebranded as Vision Azm-i-Istehkam due to opposition\u2019s criticism \u2014 which he said symbolised national resolve to eradicate extremism and terrorism from the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The campaign was launched with the consensus of all stakeholders \u2014 including all four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir \u2014during a meeting of the Central Apex Committee on the National Action Plan (NAP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While responding to a question specific to the military campaign during today\u2019s press briefing, State Department\u2019s spokesperson Matthew Miller said: \u201cWe support Pakistan\u2019s efforts to combat terrorism and ensure the safety and security of its citizens in a manner that promotes the rule of law and protection of human rights.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said that US partnership with Pakistan on security issues included high-level counterterrorism dialogue, including funding robust counterterrorism capacity-building programs and supporting a series of US-Pakistan military-to-military engagements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPakistani people have suffered tremendously from terrorist attacks. No country should have to suffer such acts of terror,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018Deeply concerned\u2019 about Madyan lynching reports A mob brutally lynched a man inside a police station on Thursday evening, and then set fire to the suspect\u2019s body, the police station and a police vehicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Miller said that the State Department regularly engaged with their Pakistani counterparts on issues of human rights, including religious freedom and the treatment of religious minorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He reiterated that the US was extremely concerned by the reports of the lynching, adding: \u201cWe share our condolences to the family of the victim and we wish a speedy recovery to those who were injured in the mob violence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cViolence or the threat of violence against another person is never an acceptable form of expression, and we oppose blasphemy laws everywhere in the world [\u2026] because they jeopardise the exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of religion or belief,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe continue to urge Pakistani authorities to respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis includes freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom of association, and the right to peaceful assembly,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Washington (National Times) The US State Department on Wednesday said that no country should face the kind of terrorist attacks Pakistani people have suffered from, adding that Washington has a shared interest with Islamabad in combating threats to regional security. On Saturday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led federal government approved a reinvigorated and re-energised national counter-terrorism […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":84459,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-84458","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n
<\/strong>Miller, while speaking on the lynching of a man in Madyan on alleged desecration of the Holy Quran, said the continued incidents and reports of systematic, ongoing violations were the reasons for Pakistan\u2019s designation as a Country of Particular Concern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n