WASHINGTON: The United States has said the decision by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to cancel US visit is completely understandable.
Sharif decided to cancel his upcoming visit to the United States to attend the two-day Nuclear Security Summit in Washington in view of Sunday’s terrorist attack in Lahore which took lives of at least 73 people.
In his daily media briefing in Washington, the US State Department Spokesman John Kirby described the Lahore attack as a `lash out’ from a group under pressure from the ongoing military operation by the Pakistani security forces.
Kirby condemned the attack and said that the United States was committed to help Pakistan in the fight against terrorism.
Replying to a question, Kirby said that the Pakistani security forces continue to put pressure on Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) which has claimed the responsibility for attack.
The spokesman said that the United States stands by the people of Pakistan and we also stand by our commitment to assist Pakistan going forward.
Now after Sharif’s decision to cancel his US trip, the Minister of State and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Syed Tariq Fatemi will lead he Pakistan’s delegation to the Nuclear Security Summit.
