By IANS,
Islamabad: Pakistan Saturday rejected US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s recent comment on militant safe havens in the country and said “such statements are unhelpful in bringing about peace in the region”.
“We strongly believe that such statements are misplaced and unhelpful in bringing about peace and stability in the region,” the Pakistani Foreign Office said in a statement.
He is “oversimplifying some very complex issues Pakistan is dealing with” in its fight against terrorism, Geo TV quoted the statement as saying.
Panetta had said the US was running out of patience with Pakistan over safe havens of insurgents who attack US troops across the border in Afghanistan.
“Safe havens still exist on the other side of the border. Pakistan has to take action from allowing terrorists in their country to attack our forces on the other side of the border,” Panetta told reporters at a joint press conference with Afghan Defence Minister General Abdul Rahim Wardak in Kabul Thursday.
Panetta’s visit came a day after a twin suicide bombing killed 22 Afghan civilians and injured 50 in Kandahar province.
Pakistan was fighting terrorism in its national interest and “no one should doubt our resolve and determination in this regard”, the Foreign Office said.