Pakistani people suffered greatly at hands of terrorists: US State Dept

WASHINGTON: In a major development, the US Department of State acknowledged Pakistan’s unmatched sacrifices and contributions in the war against terrorism and said that the Pakistani nation suffered greatly at the hands of terrorists.

US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller made these comments while addressing a news briefing in Washington on Monday.

“The Pakistani people have suffered greatly at the hands of terrorists.”

The Pakistani nation and the armed forces rendered matchless sacrifices in the fight against terrorism. The country lost more than 80,000 lives at the hands of the terrorists, apart from massive economic losses. The people and the forces successfully fought a long battle spanning over a decade to get rid of the menace of terrorism.

Only in 2023, more than 260 officers and soldiers of the Pakistan Army laid down their lives in the line of duty. In addition to this, at least 750 civilions lost their lives in the terror attacks last year, according to the data shared by APP.

Miller further said that they have a shared interest in threats to regional security.

“We partner with a range of Pakistani civilian institutions and regularly engage with the Pakistani government to identify opportunities to build capacity and strengthen regional security, including in our annual high-level counter-terrorism dialogue.

Responding to another question regarding May 9 Mayhem, the spokesperson said that his country supports freedom of expression in a legitimate way and opposes violent actions.

“We support legitimate, free expression including the right to protest and the right to peaceful assembly and we oppose violent actions.”

He said that all the protests should be conducted peacefully and “the governments should deal consistently with the rule of law and free speech”.

The May 9 riots were triggered almost across the country after deposed prime minister Imran Khan’s arrest in the £190 million settlement case last year. Hundreds of PTI workers and senior leaders were put behind bars for their involvement in violence and attacks on military installations.

During the protests, the miscreants targeted the civil and military installations including — Jinnah House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. The military termed May 9 "Black Day" and decided to try the protesters under the Army Act.