NEW DELHI -- US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Wednesday that ‘‘too many terrorist organizations’’ find refuge in Pakistan and reiterated his call for the country to do more to address a rising problem of terrorism within its borders that, he said, threatens to destabilize Pakistan itself.
‘‘There are too many terrorist organizations that find a safe place in Pakistan from which to conduct their operations and attacks against other countries,’’ Tillerson said, speaking in India’s capital on a final stop of a tour through the Middle East and Asia. The terrorist groups’ growing strength and capability ‘‘can lead to a threat to Pakistan’s own stability,’’ Tillerson said.
At a news conference at India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Tillerson told reporters that during a meeting with Pakistan’s interim prime minister, its army chief, and other leaders on Tuesday in Islamabad, he had outlined ‘‘certain expectations’’ of ‘‘mechanisms of cooperation’’ that Pakistan must fulfill to address the problem or face US reprisals. Pakistan’s government has long denied the existence of safe havens for terrorist groups.
Pakistan has been mired in political turmoil since its prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, was ousted by the country’s Supreme Court in a financial scandal in July. His close ally, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, is serving as interim prime minister.
Tillerson’s arrival in India — his first trip to the country as secretary of state — comes at a time when the US-Pakistan relationship is increasingly under strain and the Trump administration seeks a closer relationship with its ‘‘natural ally’’ India, the world’s most populous democracy and one of its biggest arms buyers.
Tillerson’s warm welcome in India — where he toured a memorial to revered freedom leader Mahatma Gandhi — was a contrast to the chilly reception he had received in Pakistan’s capital the day before. There, one prominent politician said Tillerson was ‘‘acting like a viceroy,’’ a reference to leaders of the British Raj.
India’s Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, echoed Tillerson’s criticism of Pakistan. Recent terrorist attacks in Afghanistan ‘‘are proof that safe havens and supporters of terrorism are active,’’ she said. ‘‘Pakistan needs to act on this.’’
Swaraj also said she and Tillerson discussed India’s relationship with North Korea. India maintains an embassy in Pyongyang but has moved to put new limits on trade. Swaraj said she told Tillerson the embassy should remain ‘‘so that some channels of communication are kept open’’ with friendly countries.
