The US Department of State in its annual financial report has said that Washington is engaged in a new approach with India and Pakistan for boosting peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.

State Department Inspector General Steve A. Linick said the new approach is aimed at denying safe havens to the terrorist organizations.

“Our approach to South Asia and specifically Afghanistan means new approaches with India and Pakistan to deny safe havens to terrorist organizations,” he said.

The main purpose of this new approach was to “create the conditions for reconciliation with the Taliban and a process that supports the Afghan government in providing security for their own people”, Linick added.

The 160-page annual report evaluates the most serious management and performance challenges faced by the US State Department and assesses the department’s performance in addressing those challenges, both managerially and financially.

The new approach also includes political pressure, reduction of financial aid and setting condition for relations between Pakistan and the US.The Afghan government has welcomed the new approach adopted by US.

“What we think is that the United States must put pressure on Pakistan to force Pakistan to take practical steps,” said Afghan Foreign Ministry’s deputy spokesman Sibghat Ahmadi.

But how Pakistan and India will be able to help the government in Kabul in its efforts for restoring peace in the war-ravaged country, Afghan analysts said.

“India is expected to increase its cooperation with the US and Pakistan will stay alongside the US without cooperating with the Taliban,” said political analyst Faramarz Tamanna.

The report details ongoing difficulties in monitoring and overseeing the anti-terrorism assistance program in Pakistan.

Based  on the report, the State Department has no staff in Pakistan which can verify satisfactory contractor performance or monitor whether required reports are submitted.

The report criticized the US mission’s security policies which restrict staff travel in the country, thus making it difficult to meet and keep in touch with all the contacts in Pakistan.

Back in August, US president Donald Trump outlined his new war policy involving Afghanistan and South Asia and accused Islamabad of providing safe havens to the Afghan Taliban and harboring what he described it as agents of chaos.