The Commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), US Army General Michael Kurilla, has stressed that the US must have strong ties with both India and Pakistan and that Washington’s contacts with one should not be a barrier to relations with the other. General Kurilla rejected the notion of a “binary switch” in his testimony before the US House Armed Services Committee, stating,
“We must maintain connections with both India and Pakistan. In my opinion, having a relationship with India does not exclude having one with Pakistan. We ought to consider the relationship’s merits in light of its advantages.
Specifically targeting ISIS Khorasan (ISIS-K), which he characterized as “perhaps one of the most active in trying to do external plots globally to include against the homeland,” Kurilla emphasized Pakistan’s important role in counterterrorism.
He explained how many ISIS-K fighters had been forced into the tribal areas along the Afghan-Pakistan border as a result of the Taliban’s animosity toward the group. US intelligence collaboration with Pakistan has allowed Pakistani authorities to target ISIS-K, leading to the detention of at least five high-value ISIS-K individuals and the deaths of dozens of fighters.
Kurilla brought up the extradition of ISIS-K terrorist Mohammad Sharifullah, popularly known as “Jafar,” who was responsible for the August 26, 2021, Abbey Gate attack at Kabul airport, which claimed the lives of roughly 160 civilians and 13 US service members. According to Kurilla, Asim Munir, Pakistan’s then-chief of army staff, personally told him of Jafar’s capture and said he was willing to transfer him to the US.
General Kurilla hailed Pakistan as a “phenomenal partner” in counterterrorism operations, pointing out that the country has actively targeted ISIS-K members despite having little intelligence assistance, which has had a noticeable effect on the organization’s operations. Additionally, he noted that although ISIS-K forces are still active along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and occasionally try to re-enter Afghanistan, they are mostly kept out of the border area by continuous counterterrorism efforts.
These comments coincide with a period of increased tension between India and Pakistan, as India is stepping up its attempts to draw attention to Pakistan’s purported backing for cross-border terrorism, especially in the wake of the Pahalgam terror assault on April 22. In the context of security and counterterrorism, Indian officials, including External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, have emphasized that victims and terrorists are not interchangeable and have voiced alarm over any international attempts to hyphenate India and Pakistan.
The US perspective that strategic engagement with both India and Pakistan is crucial for furthering American objectives in South Asia, particularly in the context of counterterrorism, is reaffirmed by General Kurilla’s testimony. This engagement should not be seen as mutually exclusive or zero-sum.
