NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said that the partnership between the alliance and Afghanistan is very strong and that the NATO forces are working shoulder to shoulder with the Afghan security forces for peace in the country.
 
‘We will review the security situation and the country's ongoing reforms which are bringing it closer to NATO. Our partnership is outstanding, our forces serve side by side in Afghanistan,” said Stoltenberg.
 
Meanwhile, US ambassador to NATO has said that Pakistan must give assurance to the US that it is not cooperating and providing financial assistance to the Taliban and the Haqqani network.
 
“I think it is very important that Pakistan hear the message from Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who is there today, and from all of us in the administration that we need Pakistan's cooperation. And we can do so much more as a partner with Pakistan if they will assure that they are not giving aid and financial help to the Haqqani or the Taliban network or any other terrorist network,” said US ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison
 
Diplomatic pressure on Pakistan has increased following US president Donald Trump’s new war strategy involving Afghanistan and South Asia.
 
Recently, the chairman US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Mike Pompeo warned that the US will act itself unless Pakistan takes action against terrorist sanctuaries.
 
This comes at a time that the Pakistani government has told US defense secretary Mattis that no terror sanctuary existed in Pakistan
 
In his recent remarks, Pakistani foreign minister Khawaja Asif had said that 75 percent of recent attacks in Pakistan were conspired in Pakistan.
 
Political commentator political commentator, Basir Ahmad Yusufi, believe that no visible gains have been achieved on the battlefield over the past sixteen years.