US tells Pakistan it won't tolerate selective approach in fight against terror groups

Washington: Asserting that President Donald Trump will no longer “tolerate” any support to militants, US National Security Adviser Gen HR McMaster on Sunday asked Pakistan to change its “paradoxical” policy of supporting selective terror groups. US officials have often accused Pakistan of helping the militants, a charge Islamabad denies. [caption id=“attachment_3389764” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File photo of NSA HR McMaster. AP[/caption] “The president has also made clear that he, that we need to see a change in behaviour of those in the region, which includes those who are providing safe haven and support bases for the Taliban, Haqqani Network and others,” the National Security Advisor, McMaster, was quoted by MSNBC as saying. “This is Pakistan in particular that we want to really see a change in and a reduction of their support for these groups,” he said, in response to a question on Afghanistan and terrorism in the region. He said that Trump is making clear that the US will no longer “tolerate” any support for the Taliban or related groups. “Of course, you know, a very paradoxical situation, right, where Pakistan is taking great losses. They have fought very hard against these groups, but they’ve done so really only selectively,” he said. Pakistan’s two neighbours - both India and Afghanistan – have accused it of being selective in its war against terrorism. McMaster said that Trump has lifted restrictions on US armed forces in Afghanistan. He also defended Trump’s strategy on winning the war in Afghanistan by giving unrestricted powers to the US military based in the war-torn country. “The president has said that, “He does not want to place restrictions on the military that undermine our ability to win battles in combat”. “He has lifted those restrictions, and you are beginning to see the payoff of that as well,” the top US national security advisor said.