Pakistan did not take sufficient action against terrorist groups: US

Washington: Pakistan has not taken sufficient action against terrorist groups, including Lashkar e-Toiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), which continue to operate, train, organise, and fundraise from the country, according to a recent United States government report.

In its 'Country Reports on Terrorism 2018', the US State Department said that India continues to experience attacks by Pakistan-based terrorist organisations.

"Pakistan continued to experience significant terrorist attacks, particularly against vulnerable civilian and government targets. Pakistani military and security forces undertook counterterrorism operations against groups that conducted attacks within Pakistan, such as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Pakistan did not take sufficient action against externally focused groups such as LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), which continued to operate, train, organize, and fundraise in Pakistan," said the US Department in its report was released in October.

The State Department said that Pakistan-based LeT, which was responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attacks, and JeM maintained the "capability and intent" to attack Indian and Afghan targets.

"India continued to experience attacks, including by Pakistan-based terrorist organisations and tribal and Maoist insurgents. Indian authorities blamed Pakistan for cross-border attacks in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. India continued to apply pressure to detect, disrupt, and degrade terrorist organizations` operations within its borders, including the disruption of an ISIS-inspired terrorist cell reportedly planning terrorist attacks in late 2018," the report stated.

"Regionally focused terrorist groups also remained a threat in 2018. For example, Pakistan-based LeT - which was responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attacks - and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) maintained the capability and intent to attack Indian and Afghan targets.

In February, operatives reportedly affiliated with JeM attacked an Indian army camp at Sunjuwan, in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, killing seven," it added.

The department also pointed out that Islamabad pledged support for political reconciliation between the Afghan government and the Taliban, however, did not restrict the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network (HQN) from operating in Pakistan and threatening US and Afghan forces in Afghanistan.

"The Pakistani government pledged support for political reconciliation between the Afghan government and the Afghan Taliban but did not restrict the Afghan Taliban and HQN from operating in Pakistan and threatening US and Afghan forces in Afghanistan. In June, the FATF placed Pakistan on its list of jurisdictions with strategic deficiencies (the "grey list") for deficiencies in its AML/CFT regimes, including the failure to implement UN sanctions related to designated entities," the report read.