US CENTCOM Praises Pakistan as ‘Phenomenal Partner’ on Terrorism

On Wednesday, 11 June 2025, the Commander of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), General Michael Kurilla, testified before the United States House Foreign Affairs Committee and made an obvious statement: “Pakistan is a phenomenal partner in counterterrorism.” In a geopolitical climate brimming with narratives of alignment, estrangement, and recalibration, General Michael Kurilla’s recent remarks before the United States House Foreign Affairs Committee cut through the noise like a drone strike on misinformation.

This remark did not emerge in a vacuum. It came amid increasing global recalibrations in South and Central Asia, and at a time when Pakistan’s strategic relevance in the counterterrorism matrix is once again gaining international traction, not just as a historical ally, but as a present and active counterterrorism actor.

Strategic Context: Beyond Optics

While the Republic of India is publicly flexing its coercive diplomacy under slogans like “we can strike anywhere,” and continues to push narratives branding Pakistan as a sponsor of terrorism, General Kurilla’s testimony not only reorients the United States lens back to tactical realities rather than diplomatic theatrics, it also offers a reality check. In counterterrorism, results outweigh rhetoric. Pakistan’s complex internal environment and regional pressures notwithstanding, its contributions on the ground remain undeniable.

Data Over Dogma: Pakistan’s Record in the Counterterrorism Matrix

Let’s step out of the echo chambers and into the ledger of hard facts:

Captured and Extradited: Pakistan facilitated the arrest and extradition of Jafar a.k.a. Sharifullah, a mastermind behind the 2021 Abbey Gate bombing, which killed 13 United States service members and 170 Afghan civilians during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan. The arrest was personally communicated to General Kurilla by Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir.
Tactical Hits on ISIS-K: “They have captured at least five ISIS-K high-value individuals with our intelligence support,” Kurilla emphasized.
Counterterrorism Casualties: Since early 2024, Pakistan has endured over 1,000 terrorist attacks, with 700 military personnel and 2,500 civilians martyred — clear evidence that this fight is not performative but existential.
Operations with Global Impact: From Zarb-e-Azb to Radd-ul-Fasaad, Pakistani military campaigns dismantled major safe havens of Al-Qaeda and TTP, forcing a strategic retreat of ISIS-K fighters into Afghanistan’s heartland.
Logistical & Tactical Cooperation: Pakistan enabled US drone operations in the FATA region and consistently coordinated intelligence and logistics during the Afghan war.

Intelligence Capability, Not Ideological Posturing

According to General Kurilla, the Pakistani military’s operation to capture Jafar was conducted with limited United States intelligence support, highlighting Pakistan’s own operational capacities and intelligence-gathering mechanisms.

Kurilla testified that Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, personally contacted him to confirm Jafar’s arrest and offered immediate extradition to the United States.

“The first person Field Marshal Asim Munir called was me. He said, ‘I’ve caught him. Ready to extradite him back to the United States,’” Kurilla recalled during the hearing.

The comment echoed previous acknowledgments made by President Donald Trump earlier this year in his address to Congress, where he also praised Pakistan for facilitating the handover of Islamic State operatives responsible for attacks on United States nationals.

“Tonight, I am pleased to announce that we have just apprehended the top terrorist responsible for that atrocity, and he is on his way here to face the swift sword of American justice,” the US president told Congress. “I want to thank especially the government of Pakistan for helping arrest this monster.”

Regional Implications: India’s Narrative Under Strain

General Kurilla’s remarks are not merely complimentary; they strategically reframe Pakistan’s international image, especially in the face of India’s Operation Sindoor campaign, which has sought to depict Pakistan as the central node of regional terrorism.

India’s Minister for External Affairs, Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, has consistently pushed a “zero tolerance” policy, but the United States intelligence community appears unconvinced by India’s framing. Kurilla’s testimony, grounded in actionable intelligence and operational coordination, suggests that Washington’s military leadership evaluates partnerships on performance, not politics.

Moreover, the United States appears less interested in binary alignments and more focused on operational deliverables. Kurilla himself underlined that “we must have a relationship with both Pakistan and India… It’s not a binary switch.” That’s a polite but firm rejection of New Delhi’s zero-sum vision.

Simultaneously, India’s much-touted Operation Sindoor, allegedly aimed at targeting the so-called cross-border militant hubs, now faces the added burden of Western skepticism. Even in Europe, where diplomatic silence usually prevails, there is growing discomfort over India’s increasing reliance on extra-territorial operations.

Moreover, Kurilla acknowledged that even the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (de facto Afghan Taliban government) is exerting sustained pressure on the Islamic State Khorasan Province, highlighting the shifting and pragmatic alliances emerging in the post-Doha Agreement Afghanistan theatre.

This latest development reaffirms what most ground-level intelligence professionals already know: Pakistan is not a passive ally; it is an active participant in global counterterrorism operations.

In a region fraught with militant proxies, ideological insurgencies, and cross-border volatility, Pakistan continues to deliver hard security results, not for narrative management but for tangible geopolitical outcomes.

CENTCOM’s acknowledgment of Pakistan’s performance is not a courtesy. It is a recalibration.

Pakistan’s Counterterrorism Role in a Fragmented World Order

Pakistan’s counterterrorism cooperation should not be viewed in isolation but as a critical spoke in a fractured regional wheel:

With the Taliban, Kurilla noted Taliban’s pressure on ISIS-K inside Afghanistan as effective. While ideologically distant, the Taliban and Pakistan’s interests occasionally align in containing non-state threats like ISKP.
With the United States, Counterterrorism remains the singular, durable pillar in an otherwise may be fluctuating US-Pakistan relationship. Trump’s administration appears pragmatic, maintaining CT cooperation without rushing to reestablish full-spectrum ties.
With the Gulf: Gulf states have increasingly turned to Pakistan for border security training, military consultation, and CT operations intelligence, reflecting Islamabad’s soft-power projection in the Muslim world.

Takeaway: It’s Not About Image — It’s About Outcomes

For all the rhetoric around “global narratives,” Kurilla’s testimony realigns Washington’s interest toward verifiable action over geopolitical PR. Pakistan, with its sacrifices and strategic depth, has once again proven indispensable, not in theoretical forums, but in real-world, high-stakes anti-terror operations.

As Pakistan prepares for a fresh round of counter-terrorism dialogue with the United States this month, the message from CENTCOM couldn’t be clearer: Results speak louder than reputations.

While some analysts obsess over optics and alliances, CENTCOM is focused on tactical partnerships with strategic output. In that calculus, Pakistan isn’t just relevant, it’s phenomenal.

SAT Commentary

SAT Commentaries, a collection of insightful social media threads on current events and social issues, featuring diverse perspectives from various authors.

South Asia Times

US CENTCOM Praises Pakistan as ‘Phenomenal Partner’ on Terrorism