We will not 'abandon' Pakistan says US

Washington, Aug. 13 (ANI): The United States has said it would continue to support Pakistan in its counterinsurgency efforts.

Talking to media person, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said US would not 'abandon' Pakistan and continue to provide important tools needed to weed out terrorism from its soil.

"We must manifest to the Pakistani government and people that we are there for the long haul. We are not going to abandon them again as we did years ago when the Pressler Amendment froze us out of contacts with the Pakistani government and military," Morrell said.

He said Washington would continue to work closely with Islamabad to implement an effective counterinsurgency strategy.

Commenting on the Taliban's claims of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud being alive, Morell said : "The credibility of these pretenders to his role as an insurgent leader in Pakistan is probably very much lacking." (ANI)