Washington: The United States has said that Pakistan`s negotiations with the Taliban are its internal matter and reiterated its support to Islamabad`s efforts to counter extremism.
"The issue of whether to negotiate with TTP is an internal matter for Pakistan," a State Department spokesperson told a news agency on Wednesday when asked about Pak PM Nawaz Sharif`s announcement to pursue peace talks with Taliban.
"We support Pakistan`s efforts to counter violent extremism, including its efforts to decrease the threat posed by groups like the TTP and others," the spokesperson said.
"More broadly, the United States and Pakistan continue to have a vital, shared strategic interest in ending extremist violence so as to build a more prosperous, stable, and peaceful region," said the spokesperson.
The US remarks came a day after Sharif`s National Security and Foreign Affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz met top Obama Administration officials including Secretary of State John Kerry, Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel and National Security Adviser Susan Rice, early this week.
"It was a good, wide-ranging discussion, as they always are with Pakistan. And clearly there are lots of issues between us that we continue to need to talk about and work through, and I think that that discussion this week was helpful in that regard," Pentagon Press Secretary, Rear Admiral John Kirby, told reporters.
Kirby said NATO supplies to Afghanistan through Torkham gate remains closed due to security reasons.
"There`s no traffic moving through the Torkham Gate still. Still, temporarily, no traffic moving through there. We obviously would like to see that traffic begin as soon as possible because it is certainly cheaper to move retrograde material on the ground through the Torkham Gate," he said.
"The Pakistani government has been very clear that they too would like to re-open it, but that they have, you know, the issue of protesters that they`re dealing with. Secretary Hagel knows that they`re working this hard," he said.
"Retrograde continues nonetheless. We`re able to get things out by air and through the northern routes. It`s more expensive. It`s a little bit more laborious but we`re still able to do it," he added.
The United States, he said, is appreciative of the support that it has received from Pakistan.
"This is a tough part of the world, tough regional issues, and it`s important that we keep talking, and we are," Kirby said.
