US does not support Baloch militants: Alice Wells

Monitoring Desk

WASHINGTON: US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs at State Department, Alice Wells has rejected the blames that United States of America is supporting the Baloch separatists and adding that US respect the integrity of Pakistan.

This she said while addressing to a gathering held with the “Signs of Hope for Afghan Peace Talks” at the US Institute of Peace in Washington, DC

Alice Wells said that US strongly respect the territorial integrity of Pakistan and are not supporting Baloch insurgency or any other group which can create problems to Pakistan.

She added that Trump administration message is quite clear that any group or any terrorist group threatening any country in the region has to be stopped and raised voice against it.

She further added that we believe that Pakistan has an important role to play in a peace process and in stabilizing Afghanistan and we are in contact with the Pakistan in this regard.

Alice Wells explained that we are working to find a way to address the issue Pakistan’s legitimate concerns through a negotiated process.

She added that Pakistan always complaining about the poor border management from Afghanistan side and the terrorists coming and targeting the civilians and security forces and currently we are negotiating it for the solution.

The senior US official added that we are opposing the groups that are targeting the Pakistan while referring to the recent US announcement of rewards for three leaders of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Last week, the US State Department offered a $5 million reward for information on Mullah Fazlullah, the Afghanistan-based TTP chief.

The announcement came a day after Fazlullah’s son was reportedly killed along with around two dozen others in a US drone strike in Afghanistan.

The US also announced that it also is offering rewards of $3 million each for information on Abdul Wali, the head of a TTP affiliate, and Mangal Bagh, the leader of a terrorist group accused of attacking NATO convoys.