Dawn.com, Washington :
The US Department of Defence, in its first reaction to the current India-Pakistan conflict, has urged both militaries to continue talking as it would help reduce tensions.
“We are aware that the Indian and Pakistani militaries have been in communication with one another and we encourage these continued discussions between India and Pakistan as a means to reduce any tensions that may be out there,” Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook told a briefing. “We’re encouraged by that and we certainly would encourage those conversations to continue,” he added.
Mr Cook said that various branches of the US government – including the Pentagon – were maintaining regular contacts with both India and Pakistan.
Asked to comment on alleged threats from Islamabad to go for the nuclear option if India imposed war on Pakistan, Mr Cook said: “Again, the secretary (Ashton Carter) would hope, as the United States government would hope, that tensions between Pakistan and India would be lowered and that there would be an effort at communication here to try and address those concerns.”
Diplomatic observers in Washington have noted that despite its declared policy of not interfering in India-Pakistan dispute, the US government has been continuously encouraging both neighbours to stay engaged and to reduce tensions.
This, they argue, shows the level of concern in Washington over the current situation and is a significant departure from its stated policy that it is for India and Pakistan to decide how to resolve their differences.
PTI adds: The US today said it does not support declaring Pakistan a ‘terrorist state’ but will continue to work with the governments in the region to eliminate safe havens which also pose a threat to India. The US also called for a “meaningful dialogue” between India and Pakistan to address differences including the Kashmir issue and to bring down the recent tensions. State Department spokesperson John Kirby, however, expressed confidence that Pakistan has kept nuclear arsenals safe from terrorists.
Asked if the government would support a Bill in the Congress and an online petition that the US should declare Pakistan a ‘terrorist state’, Mr Kirby at his daily press briefing said:
The US Department of Defence, in its first reaction to the current India-Pakistan conflict, has urged both militaries to continue talking as it would help reduce tensions.
“We are aware that the Indian and Pakistani militaries have been in communication with one another and we encourage these continued discussions between India and Pakistan as a means to reduce any tensions that may be out there,” Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook told a briefing. “We’re encouraged by that and we certainly would encourage those conversations to continue,” he added.
Mr Cook said that various branches of the US government – including the Pentagon – were maintaining regular contacts with both India and Pakistan.
Asked to comment on alleged threats from Islamabad to go for the nuclear option if India imposed war on Pakistan, Mr Cook said: “Again, the secretary (Ashton Carter) would hope, as the United States government would hope, that tensions between Pakistan and India would be lowered and that there would be an effort at communication here to try and address those concerns.”
Diplomatic observers in Washington have noted that despite its declared policy of not interfering in India-Pakistan dispute, the US government has been continuously encouraging both neighbours to stay engaged and to reduce tensions.
This, they argue, shows the level of concern in Washington over the current situation and is a significant departure from its stated policy that it is for India and Pakistan to decide how to resolve their differences.
PTI adds: The US today said it does not support declaring Pakistan a ‘terrorist state’ but will continue to work with the governments in the region to eliminate safe havens which also pose a threat to India. The US also called for a “meaningful dialogue” between India and Pakistan to address differences including the Kashmir issue and to bring down the recent tensions. State Department spokesperson John Kirby, however, expressed confidence that Pakistan has kept nuclear arsenals safe from terrorists.
Asked if the government would support a Bill in the Congress and an online petition that the US should declare Pakistan a ‘terrorist state’, Mr Kirby at his daily press briefing said:
“I have not seen anything specifically about the – such a bill, and obviously we don’t.”
