"What we're trying to do in Pakistan is to build democratic institutions, to build up Pakistan's security, to help it face an existential threat from terrorism. And that's where our assistance is focused," State Department Deputy spokesman Mark Toner said during a press briefing.

Toner said that the US' counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan has yielded results, pointing out that more terrorists have been killed on Pakistani soil over the years, and that were apprehended in Pakistani soil over the years, which is "indicative of our strong counterterrorism cooperation."

"Ultimately, counterterrorism cooperation, and indeed on a broader level cooperation with Pakistan, is in our nation's long-term security interest," he added.