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WASHINGTON - The United States Friday appeared to give credence to Afghan allegations that this week’s deadly terrorist attack in Kabul was the work of the Pakistani establishment backed Haqqani network, saying Washington had expressed concern over Pakistan’s continued tolerance of that network.

“We have consistently expressed our concerns at the highest level of the government of Pakistan about their continued tolerance for Afghan Taliban groups, such as the Haqqani network, operating from Pakistani soil,” State Department Spokesperson Elizabeth Trudeau told reporters at the daily press briefing.

The spokesperson was responding to a question from an Indian journalist who drew her attention to Afghan authorities having blamed the blast on the Haqqani network and alleging this had the backing of the Pakistani establishment.

Trudeau said that the US had voiced its concern to Pakistan again “after this week’s attack” in Kabul in which more than 70 people were killed.

“We have pressed the government of Pakistan to follow up on its expressed commitment not to discriminate between terror groups, regardless of their agenda or their affiliation by undertaking concrete action against the Haqqanis,” the spokesperson said.

Pakistani authorities have reiterated their commitment that they will not discriminate against those groups, she noted.

“We continue to call on them to live up to that commitment,” the State Department spokesperson added.

“I think words matter and we continue to encourage them to have their actions match those words,” Trudeau said responding to Afghan allegations that Pakistanis helped the Haqqani network in this Kabul attack.