By NNN-APP
Washington : The United States has condemned recent bombings in Pakistan and reaffirmed its support for the South Asian ally in confronting extremist violence.
“We are concerned by the continuing violence in Pakistan and condemn those recent suicide bombings, including one that took the lives of a number of individuals in the Federally Administered Territories who were meeting to try and talk about what they could do to oppose al-Qaeda and the Taliban there,” State Department deputy spokesman said.
Tom Casey said in response to a question Monday afternoon that the US certainly is “going to do whatever we can to support the Government of Pakistan as it moves forward to confront extremist violence.”
In this context, he said “at this point, I can’t offer you anything new in terms of programmes or assistance,” but cited Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte’s assurance at a congressional hearing of continued security assistance as well as cooperation for economic and political development of the country.
Casey, who was asked to comment on deadly bombings over the weekend ‘before even the new government is in place’ following February 18 parliamentary polls, said “it is for the Pakistani leaders to speak on the issue of government formation.
“I understand there are still negotiations ongoing between the various political factions in Pakistan over the formation of the new government”. he said.