'Dismantling Taliban, Al-Qaeda safe havens in Pak essential for US, World peace'

Islamabad, Apr.30 (ANI): The United States has reiterated that there is an immediate need to dismantle the Taliban and Al-Qaeda safe havens in Pakistan for the safety of the US and the world.

Addressing the Senate, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee for Middle-east and South Asia, Senator Tom Casey expressed concerns about the expanding writ of the Taliban in Pakistan.

Casey said the US is concerned over the reports of the Taliban inching closer towards Islamabad.

"I know the administration is working with our partners in Pakistan to prevent the situation from deteriorating even further. We must continue to work with the Government of Pakistan to prevent these radical groups from destabilizing the Pakistani State and the region," The Nation quoted Casey, as saying.

He said the problems in Pakistan and Afghanistan were inter-related, and highlighted the need to counter the issue with a comprehensive strategy involving all the key members.

"Recent gains of Taliban show how interrelated the threats in Pakistan and Afghanistan are. The threat in Afghanistan feeds off the threat in Pakistan and vice versa. We must treat this for what it is: one theater that requires a unified approach," Casey added. (ANI)