Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Thursday said the US cannot scapegoat Pakistan for its failures in Afghanistan, dismissing remarks by a top US military official regarding Pakistan?s contributions to the war against terrorism.

In a weekly briefing, Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria rejected allegations by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford about Pakistan?s policy against terrorism, and said the US was trying to blame Pakistan for its own failures in Afghanistan.

Pakistani forces took indiscriminate action against terrorists? hideouts on its soil and cleared the areas of militants, the spokesman said.

The former US Secretary of State?s statement on Pakistan?s policy regarding terrorism was on record, he added.

Zakaria added that foreign minister Khawaja Asif, who is currently on a tour of US, had taken up the issue of human rights violations in Occupied Kashmir with his US counterpart.

Pakistan critical for South Asian stability, Tillerson says after meeting Asif

Pakistan's relation with US is extraordinarily important, says US secretary of state

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, after meeting Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday, said Pakistan is critical for the long-term stability of South Asia.

"We want Pakistan's government to be stable, peaceful.. many of the same issues they are struggling inside Pakistan are our issues. So we think there is an opportunity to strengthen that relationship," he said.

Pakistan's relation with the US is "extraordinarily important", he added.