US, Pak to cooperate in tackling terror outfits

Pakistan and the US have agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation to tackle leading militant groups, including the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), ISIS-Khorasan and the Pakitsan Taliban.

It transpired during their bilateral counterterrorism dialogue in Islamabad on Tuesday, a day after the US designated the Pakistan-based BLA a Foreign Terrorist Organisation.

The dialogue was co-chaired by Nabeel Munir, Pakistan’s Special Secretary for the UN, and Gregory D LoGerfo, the Acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism at the US Department of State.

Both delegations emphasised the importance of building stronger institutional frameworks and developing capabilities to respond to security challenges and to counter the use of emerging technologies for militancy. Pakistani security forces have killed 50 terrorists in a four-day operation in Balochistan.