RAW, NDS backing terrorists to hit soft targets in Pakistan, US envoy told

ISLAMABAD: Indian and Afghan spy agencies are covertly backing terrorists to hit soft targets in Pakistan, the country’s National Security Adviser told the US ambassador on Wednesday, a day after a deadly attack on a training facility in Quetta killed over 60 police cadets.

Issues concerning the heinous attack on the Police Training College in Quetta, counter terrorism operations, and cross-border attacks came under discussion in a meeting between US Ambassador David Hale and Pakistan NSA Lt Gen (Retd) Nasser Khan Janjua here on Wednesday.

In the meeting, the US ambassador condemned the heinous attack and expressed his deepest regrets, offering all-out help from US.

The National Security Adviser briefed him on the efforts Pakistan was making to improve the security situation by implementing the National Action Plan.

The adviser also emphasised on the need to break the nexus of Afghanistan-based terrorists who were operating under the patronage of Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security (NDS) and top Indian spy agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

The terrorists were being covertly supported to come and hit the soft targets in Pakistan, he added.

Gen (Retd) Janjua said terrorists who attacked the Police Training College were constantly in touch with their accomplices based in Afghanistan, adding that Pakistan needed US support in the matter.

The National Security Adviser stated that peace in Afghanistan was directly linked to peace in Pakistan and political reconciliation in Afghanistan was inevitable for stability in the region.

The US ambassador also apprised the adviser of the initiatives the US had taken to improve security situation in Afghanistan.