She also said that the US welcomed Prime Minister Imran Khan’s public statements affirming his resolve not to allow Pakistan’s soil to be used against any other country. “I would positively note that many comments the Prime Minister has made in public underscoring his government’s commitment to moving away from non-state actors to ensuring that the national action plan that Pakistan has forged is implemented.”

She said the steps the government had taken so far to implement the national action plan were “positive”. About the prospects of a resumption of dialogue between Islamabad and New Delhi, Wells linked the progress to Pakistan’s commitment to not allowing its territory to be used for attacks on India.

She said Pakistan needed to demonstrate its commitment to ensure that “the militant groups can’t take advantage of Pakistani soil.” When asked to specify the US concerns regarding the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Wells said while Washington did not object to infrastructure investment by China, the question remains whether such projects meet international standards.

She argued that such investments should be transparent, sustainable and should produce benefits for the country. “This is an issue that is not Pakistan specific. We have expressed this concern about Belt and Road Initiative more broadly.”