Need Both Pakistan And India, Islamabad "A Phenomenal Partner": Top US General
A top US General, in a statement under oath, has stressed that Washington needs to have a strong relationship with both New Delhi and Islamabad/Rawalpindi, suggesting that the equation cannot be binary in nature.
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US General Michael Kurilla Emphasizes Need for Strong Relations with Both India and Pakistan
New Delhi:
During a sworn testimony at the House Armed Services Committee, General Michael Kurilla, commander of the US Central Command, emphasized that Washington must maintain robust relationships with both New Delhi and Islamabad/Rawalpindi, rejecting the notion that these relationships should be viewed as mutually exclusive. He stressed that Pakistan remains an essential partner for the United States in regional counter-terrorism efforts.
General Kurilla lauded Pakistan's counter-terrorism initiatives and its contribution to helping the United States achieve its regional objectives. He characterized Pakistan as a "phenomenal partner," highlighting how the country is engaged in an "active counter-terrorism fight" against ISIS-Khorasan with limited intelligence support from Washington.
"ISIS Khorasan is perhaps one of the most active in attempting to execute external plots globally, including against the homeland. Currently, we've observed the Taliban targeting ISIS-K, as there's mutual animosity between them. This has pushed many ISIS-K members into tribal areas along the Afghan-Pakistan border," General Kurilla stated.
"Through our exceptional partnership with Pakistan, they've conducted operations against ISIS-Khorasan, eliminating dozens of operatives. Our intelligence-sharing relationship has enabled Pakistan to capture at least 5 high-value ISIS-Khorasan individuals. They extradited Jaffar, a key figure behind the Abbeygate bombing, and Army Chief Munir personally contacted me first," he continued.
The General added, "Field Marshal Munir informed me, 'I have apprehended him (Jaffar) and we will extradite him to the United States. Please inform the Secretary of Defence and the President.' We're witnessing Pakistan effectively targeting ISIS using the limited intelligence we've provided—and we're seeing the impact this has had on ISIS-Khorasan."
General Kurilla elaborated to the committee how ISIS-K has been moving across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and maintaining activity in the region. Regarding the Pakistani army's contributions, he noted, "Since early 2024, Pakistan has experienced over a thousand terrorist attacks in its Western region, resulting in approximately 700 security personnel and civilian casualties, with more than 2,500 wounded. They are currently engaged in an active counter-terrorism campaign and have been an exceptional partner in counter-terrorism efforts."
He informed the panel that ISIS-K has been hit "very, very hard" in recent months and is currently at a low point, though they remain active.
As the panel prepared to move on, General Kurilla interjected with an important addition: "We need to maintain relationships with both Pakistan and India. I don't believe it's a binary choice where we can't engage with Pakistan if we have a relationship with India. We should evaluate each relationship based on its own merits and positive aspects."
This statement from the senior US military official sends a clear message to New Delhi that Washington intends to maintain Pakistan as an ally while pursuing its geopolitical interests, and that India's struggle against terrorism originating from Pakistan remains its own challenge. The remarks also clarify that India should not expect the United States to prioritize its strategic partnership with New Delhi over its ties with Islamabad.