Washington asks Islamabad to immediately arrest Taliban leaders

The White House said in a statement that Islamabad needs to prevent the Taliban from using Pakistani territory to support its operations

‘Immediately arrest or expel Taliban from your soil,’ says US to Pakistan, after weekend attack in Kabul

“We call on Pakistan to immediately arrest or expel the Taliban’s leaders and prevent the group from using Pakistani territory to support its operations,” said Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House spokeswoman.

The White House statement came even as the Trump administration has doubled down on the pressure on Pakistan, which it says provides safe haven to terrorists and terror groups that carry out attacks in Afghanistan.

“Such attacks on civilians only strengthen our resolve to support our Afghan partners…Afghan forces with our support will continue to relentlessly pursue the enemies of Afghanistan who also seek to export terror around the world,” said the White House spokeswoman.

Four gunmen equipped with heavy and light arms stormed into a luxury hotel in capital Kabul late Saturday that killed at least 22 people, many of whom were foreign citizens.

Afghanistan blamed the Taliban-linked Haqqani militant group for the attack.