The United States has made it clear that there is no question of declaring Pakistan as a ‘terrorist state’, and that Washington would continue to work with regional capitals as part of efforts to address the common threats and challenges.
The State Department has also called for a “meaningful dialogue” between India and Pakistan to address differences, including the Kashmir issue, and to bring down the recent tensions.
Questioned pointedly at a daily briefing if the US Administration would support a bill in the Congress and an online petition that the US should declare Pakistan a ‘terrorist state’, Spokesman John Kirby said: “I have not seen anything specifically about the – such a bill, and obviously we don’t.”
The statement follows another related development when White House shut down the “we the people’ petition seeking it to declare Pakistan as a terrorist state” over fake signatures.
At the State Department, the spokesman, however, said he would not comment on “whatever pending legislation may be coming in that regard”.
“What we – what I would say is common threat, common challenge in the region, and we’re going to continue to work with Pakistan, with Afghanistan, and the Secretary (of State) just came back from Brussels and the Afghanistan conference in Brussels. And obviously it’s a threat to the Indian people as well.”
“So we’re going to continue to work with the governments in the region to try to address these common threats and challenges, and we’ve always said that more can be done about the safe havens and that’s – we’re going to, again, try to work as cooperatively as we can to that end,” Kirby said.
Recently two Congressman moved a legislation to delcare Pakistan a state sponsor of terro amid New Delhi’s campaign to frame the deteriorating situation in Kashmir in terrorism terms.
The statement also coincides with a visit by Pakistani Special Envoys – Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed and Dr Member National Assembly Shezra Mansab Khan, to Washington as part of efforts to apprise Washington of the gross human rights violations in disputed Kashmir territory under Indian control.
The two parliamentarians have been interacting with policy analysts, stressing the need for an even-handed approach to South Asian disputes.
Speaking at the daily briefing, State Department spokesman Kirby said the U.S.’ position on Kashmir has not changed and it is for India and Pakistan to address the problem .
“On the Kashmir issue, our position has not changed. We want this to be worked out between both sides, the issue of Kashmir. And generally, we obviously want to see the tensions that exist right now be brought down and for dialogue to take its place – meaningful dialogue to try to address these issues bilaterally between the countries,” Kirby said.
Kirby added that the US wanted India and Pakistan to resolve their differences.
“There are still differences of opinion that exist between them; and as I said earlier, we want them to work through those differences. We have differences with many countries too, and we continue to try to work through them,” Kirby said
“That’s all we’re asking, that’s all we’re hoping, that’s all we’re expecting from leaders in India and Pakistan. But we don’t believe for a minute that they don’t take the challenges before them seriously or the lives and security of their children,” he said.
The spokesman also said the US had full confidence in Pakistan’s nuclear security.
“I think we’ve said before we’re confident that Pakistan has the security controls they need to have in place on their arsenal,” he said.
