White House official John Kirby clarified on Wednesday that Pakistan was never a technical or tactical ally of the United States, stressing that no alliance treaty existed between the two countries.

During a press briefing in Washington, Kirby responded to a question about the Biden administration’s actions regarding Pakistan’s appeal over rising cross-border terrorism.

He noted, “Well, first of all, I would—as you know, Pakistan was never technically an ally of the United States. I mean, there was no treaty of alliance with Pakistan.”

However, Kirby acknowledged the historic cooperation between the two nations in the fight against terrorism.

“But certainly, over many, many years in the last few decades, we have partnered with Pakistan as appropriate to deal with the terrorist threat that still exists on the spine between Afghanistan and Pakistan,” he added.

Kirby also addressed the ongoing security concerns, stating, “We recognize that Pakistan is still — still the people of Pakistan are victims of terrorist violence coming from across the border. We recognize that.”

Assuring that the Biden administration remains committed to working with Pakistan to address these shared threats, he stressed: “We have, and as long as we sit here, remain committed to working with Pakistan to address these common threats and challenges. And it hasn’t changed. It’s not going to change.”