US Army General Calls Pakistan 'Phenomenal Partner' To Counter Terrorism; Congress Questions PM Modi's Diplomacy

US Army General Michael Kurilla has recently asserted that the United States 'has to have' a relationship with both Pakistan and India, noting that it cannot be a “binary switch”. Kurilla also called Pakistan a 'phenomenal partner' in the counterterrorism world as he narrated how their military helped US to catch ISIS terrorists.

The opposition in India has slammed PM Modi's bilateral ties as Congress asked if it is not a "diplomatic setback".

Kurilla's comments came days after an all-party Indian Parliamentary delegation visited the US to convey India's strong resolve to combat terrorism allegedly rooting from Pakistan in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives.

What Did US Army General Michael Kurilla Say?

US Army General Michael Kurilla, Commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), made the comments during a testimony before the US House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.

“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,” Kurilla said.

“We should look at the merits of the relationship for the positives that it has.”

“ISIS Khorasan (ISIS K) is perhaps one of the most active in trying to do external plots globally to include against the homeland. The Taliban is going after ISIS K - they hate each other, and have pushed a lot of them into the tribal areas on the Afghan-Pakistan border,” he said at the full Committee Hearing on ‘US Military Posture and National Security Challenges AFRICOM + CENTCOM.’

“Through a phenomenal partnership with Pakistan, they have gone after ISIS Khorasan, killing dozens of them. Through a relationship we have with them providing intelligence, they have captured at least five ISIS Khorasan high value individuals.”

He said they extradited ISIS-K terrorist Mohammad Sharifullah, also known as “Jafar,” to face charges for his role in the August 26, 2021 Abbey Gate bombing at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul that killed 13 United States military service members and about 160 civilians.

Kurilla added that he was the first person Pakistan’s then Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir had called and had said ‘I've caught him. I'm willing to extradite him back to the United States. Please tell the Secretary of Defence and the President’.”

“So we are seeing Pakistan, with limited intelligence that we're providing them, go after them, using their means to do that, and we're seeing an effect on ISIS-K” .

“The ISIS-K terrorists are continuing to move around and sometimes they'll try and go back into Afghanistan…. ... for the most part right now, they're hanging out right in that border area of Pakistan,” he added.

Pakistan is “in an active counterterrorism fight right now and they have been a phenomenal partner in the counterterrorism world,” the top general added.

Also Read | PM Modi Meets Op Sindoor Delegates Who Conveyed India's Stand Against Terrorism; Says 'Proud Of The Manner...'

Congress Reaction

The opposition party also referred to remarks by a Trump administration spokesperson highlighting President Donald Trump's diplomatic and negotiating skills as having the power to end 'generational differences', wondering whether something is cooking in Washington DC and asking Prime Minister Modi to issue a clarification on it.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh also cited a media report which claimed that Pakistan's chief of army staff General Syed Asim Munir is scheduled to visit Washington DC, for the US Army Day celebrations, and said this is "another huge diplomatic setback for India".

Sharing a media report on Kurilla's remarks, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "The US Central Command Chief has just described Pakistan as a 'phenomenal partner in counter-terrorism'." "What do our PM and his cheerleaders have to say about this? Is this not a diplomatic setback?" Ramesh said on X.

In another post, Ramesh shared a media report which claimed that Pakistan's chief of army staff General Syed Asim Munir is scheduled to visit Washington DC, for the US Army Day celebrations on June 14.

"This is the man who spoke in such incendiary and provocative language just before the Pahalgam terror attacks. What is the US really up to? This is another huge diplomatic setback for India," Ramesh said.

In another post, the Congress leader shared a clip of State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce's press briefing.

"In response to a question at the US Department of State's Press Briefing on 10th June, the Trump Administration's spokesperson referred to President Trump's diplomatic and negotiating skills as having the power to end 'generational differences' and to bring people to the table that 'nobody thought was possible.' Is something cooking in DC? Will @narendramodi clarify?" Ramesh said.

In response to a question on President Donald Trump offering to mediate on the issue of Kashmir, Bruce had said on Tuesday, "Well, obviously I can't speak to what's on the mind or the plans of the President. What I do know is that I think we all recognise that President Trump in each step that he takes, it's made to solve generational differences between countries, generational war." Bruce added that it should not "surprise" anyone that he would want to "manage" something like that.

"So, while I can't speak to his plans, the world knows his nature, and I can't speak to any details of what he might have in that regard But it is an exciting time that if we can get to a point in that particular conflict..," Bruce said adding that it is a "very interesting time".