'Need Ties With Both India & Pakistan': US Central Command Chief Gen Kurilla
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General Michael Kurilla, who is set to retire this summer, commended Pakistan as an 'outstanding partner' in counterterrorism
US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief General Michael Kurilla recently underscored the importance of the United States maintaining relationships with both India and Pakistan. Testifying before the House Armed Services Committee, Kurilla emphasised Pakistan's critical role in counterterrorism efforts against the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (IS-KP), as reported by the Hindustan Times.
General Kurilla, who is set to retire this summer, commended Pakistan as an 'outstanding partner" in counterterrorism. This statement comes at a time when India has been increasing its diplomatic efforts to highlight Pakistan's involvement in cross-border terrorism, particularly after the Pahalgam terror attack of April 22. Indian officials, including external affairs minister S Jaishankar, have consistently cautioned against equating victims and perpetrators of terrorism.
Kurilla clarified that the US relationship with India and Pakistan is not mutually exclusive. 'We need to have relationships with both Pakistan and India. It is not a binary choice where having one relationship excludes the other," he stated, encouraging lawmakers to recognise the benefits of each relationship.
The CENTCOM chief detailed Pakistan's actions against IS-KP, a group based in Afghanistan that he characterised as highly active in planning global terrorist activities, including those targeting the US. He explained that while the Afghan Taliban has taken action against IS-KP, many fighters have relocated to the tribal areas along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
'Through an excellent partnership with Pakistan, they have targeted and eliminated dozens of IS-KP members. With the intelligence we provide, they have captured at least five high-value IS-KP individuals," said Kurilla. He also highlighted Pakistan's extradition of Mohammad Sharifullah, alias Jafar, who was involved in the August 2021 Kabul airport attack that killed 13 American soldiers. Kurilla revealed that Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, Asim Munir, personally informed him of Jafar's capture and the willingness to extradite him.
General Kurilla stressed that Pakistan's partnership in countering terrorist threats in Central and South Asia 'will only become more significant as the Taliban continues to face security challenges within Afghanistan".
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