US Vice President, JD Vance on Thursday said that Washington hoped Pakistan would cooperate with India to hunt down Pakistan-based militants.
This was as he said India’s response to the recent Islamist militant attack in India-administered Kashmir does not lead to a broader regional conflict.
Vance made this statement in an interview on Fox News’ “Special Report with Bret Baier”; show.
“Our hope here is that India responds to this terrorist attack in a way that doesn’t lead to a broader regional conflict.
“And we hope, frankly, that Pakistan, to the extent that they’re responsible, cooperates with India to make sure that the terrorists sometimes operating in their territory are hunted down and dealt with,”; Vance said.
The Vice-President’s comments are said to be the closest the US government has come since the April 22 attack – in which 26 people were killed – to potentially linking Pakistan to extremism in India.
Top US leaders, including President Donald Trump, have condemned the attack, calling it “terror”; and “unconscionable,”; while expressing support for India without directly blaming Pakistan.
DAILY POST reports that India is an important US partner as Washington aims to counter China’s rising influence.
In the same vein, Pakistan remains Washington’s ally even as its importance diminished after the 2021 US withdrawal from neighboring Afghanistan.
Washington, in recent days, urged India and Pakistan to work with each other to de-escalate tensions and arrive at a responsible solution.
While India has blamed Pakistan for the attack, Islamabad denied responsibility and called for a neutral probe.
The US State Department has said it was in touch with the nuclear-armed Asian neighbours at multiple levels and Secretary of State Marco Rubio held calls on Wednesday with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Hindu nationalist Indian Prime Minister and Jaishankar has told Rubio that the perpetrators should be brought to justice.
According to Pakistan, .
DAILY POST reports that Muslim-majority Kashmir is claimed in full by both Hindu-majority India and Islamic Pakistan, with each controlling only part of it and having fought wars over it.
