Produce evidence of Haqqani Network's safe havens: Pakistan to US

Pakistan's foreign minister Khawaja Asif said his country is ready for a joint operation with US against the Haqqani Network if it provides evidence of safe havens inside Pakistan.

"We have offered American authorities to visit Pakistan with evidence of Haqqani network's safe havens in the country," he told Pakistan's Express News.

Just hours before President Trump's announcement on Afganistan policy in late August, Pakistan's Major General Asif had said that "there were no terrorist hideouts in Pakistan" and operations were carried out "against all terrorists, including the Haqqani network". He said evidence to that effect was shared with General Joseph Votel, chief of the US Central Command.

"If they find any activity [of Haqqanis] in the targeted areas, our troops, along with the US, would destroy them once and for all," Pakistan's foreign minister asserted.

The US had blocked a $300 million military aid to Islamabad after it failed to get a Congressional certification for "satisfactory" action against the dreaded Haqqani network.

The Haqqani Network has carried out a number of kidnappings and attacks against US interests in Afghanistan, the Afghan government and other civilian targets.

The group is also blamed for several deadly attacks against Indian interests in Afghanistan including the 2008 bombing of the Indian mission in Kabul that killed 58 people.

The Pentagon had earlier said it was in Pakistan's interest to take action against terrorists in "as many ways as possible".