US Army General Michael Kurilla, Commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), has emphasized the necessity for the United States to maintain robust relationships with both Pakistan and India, asserting that Washington’s ties with one should not preclude engagement with the other. During his testimony before the US House Armed Services Committee, General Kurilla dismissed the idea of a “binary switch,” explaining,

“We have to have a relationship with Pakistan and with India. I do not believe it is a binary switch that we can't have one with Pakistan if we have a relationship with India. We should look at the merits of the relationship for the positives that it has”.

Kurilla highlighted Pakistan’s significant role in counterterrorism, particularly against ISIS Khorasan (ISIS-K), a group he described as “perhaps one of the most active in trying to do external plots globally to include against the homeland.”

He detailed how the Taliban’s hostility towards ISIS-K has driven many of its fighters into the tribal areas along the Afghan-Pakistan border. Through a close partnership with Pakistan, US intelligence sharing has enabled Pakistani authorities to target ISIS-K, resulting in the deaths of dozens of militants and the capture of at least five high-value ISIS-K individuals.

A notable example cited by Kurilla was the extradition of ISIS-K terrorist Mohammad Sharifullah, also known as “Jafar,” who was involved in the August 26, 2021, Abbey Gate bombing at Kabul airport, which killed 13 US service members and about 160 civilians. Kurilla recounted that Pakistan’s then Chief of Army Staff, Asim Munir, personally informed him of Jafar’s capture and expressed readiness to extradite him to the United States.

General Kurilla praised Pakistan as a “phenomenal partner” in counterterrorism efforts, noting that despite limited intelligence support, Pakistan has actively pursued ISIS-K operatives, leading to tangible impacts on the group’s activities. He also pointed out that ISIS-K elements continue to operate along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, sometimes attempting to re-enter Afghanistan, but are largely contained in the border region due to ongoing counterterrorism operations.

These remarks come at a time of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, with India intensifying efforts to highlight Pakistan’s alleged support for cross-border terrorism, particularly after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Indian officials, including External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, have stressed that victims and perpetrators of terrorism cannot be equated, and have expressed concern over any international attempts to hyphenate India and Pakistan in the context of security and counterterrorism.

General Kurilla’s testimony underscores the US position that strategic engagement with both Pakistan and India is essential for advancing American interests in South Asia, especially in the context of counterterrorism, and should not be viewed as mutually exclusive or zero-sum.

Based On A PTI Report