Washington: The US on Friday denied having set a 'two-week' time frame for Pakistan to take action against Taliban militants operating in the country, but said the military offensive by the army has to be consistent and decisive.
"I don't know where this two-week timeframe came from, but look, we have said very clearly that we believe the Pakistanis need to take action against these extremist elements," the State Department spokesman, Robert Wood, told reporters at his daily press briefing.
The Fox News had earlier reported that General David Petraeus, Commander of US Central Command, told US lawmakers that coming two weeks are going to be very critical to determining whether the Pakistani government will survive.
The channel reported that Petraeus said the US is looking forward to see concrete action by Islamabad in the next two week before determining the next course of action by the Obama Administration.
Wood said action against the Taliban and extremist elements is not something that can be put in a timeline in terms of taking action.
"It has to be consistent, decisive, and we need to understand that this is not something we're going to be able to deal with in two days, two weeks, two months," he said.
"This is going to take time. But what's important is, as I said the other day, 110 per cent effort. And Pakistan seems willing to go in that direction. We'll continue to try to help them if they move in that direction," Wood said.
The State Department said the US will be working with Pakistan and provide assistance to it along with other countries who believe it is critical to international security to defeat the Taliban and the extremists that are operating in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
"Pakistan is doing this out in its own national security interests... It's important that these extremists be dealt with, and we're going to continue, as I said, to work with them and others," Wood said.
The spokesman termed "positive" the action taken by Pak army in the last couple of days. But said, the US was "under no illusions. It's going to take more than two days worth of action. It's going to take consistent, determined, and forceful action," he said.