United States (US) Department of Defence quarterly report to US Congress says that Pakistan continues to harbor the Taliban and associated militant groups in Pakistan, such as the Haqqani Network, which maintains the ability to conduct attacks against Afghan interests, Times of India reported on May 22. The report by the Inspector General of the US Department of Defence for the January-March quarter, issued on May 18, pointed to a continuation of Pakistan's efforts to achieve its strategic objectives in Afghanistan, including shutting out India from the war-torn country. The report is the first one to be issued since the US and the Taliban signed an agreement on February 29 to facilitate the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan. It comes at a time when the US special envoy for Afghanistan reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad has called on India to hold direct talks with the Taliban Pakistan continues to focus on countering Indian influence in Afghanistan and harbours the Taliban and groups such as the Haqqani Network, which have the ability to engage in violence on Afghan soil, according to a new Pentagon report.