Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House
U.S. President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday jointly demanded Islamabad take steps to make sure Pakistani soil is not used for “launching terror attacks.”
In a joint statement issued after a meeting between the two leaders in Washington, which Modi is currently visiting, they said the U.S. and India were united against global terrorism. “They strongly condemned cross-border terrorism, the use of terrorist proxies and called on Pakistan to take immediate action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for launching terrorist attacks,” read the statement issued by the White House, as it specifically called for action against extremist groups allegedly based in Pakistan, such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad.
Biden and Modi also reiterated a desire for concerted action against all U.N.-listed terrorist groups, including Al Qaeda, Daesh and Hizbul Mujhahideen. They further emphasized the need to bring perpetrators of all attacks, including the 2008 siege of Mumbai and the Pathankot incident, to justice.
On the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, Biden and Modi agreed on the need to ensure uninterrupted provision of immediate assistance to the people of the war-torn state. “The leaders reiterated their strong support for a peaceful, secure, and stable Afghanistan,” read the statement, adding that they had urged the Taliban to ensure Afghan territory was not used “to threaten or attack any country, shelter or train terrorists, or plan or finance terrorist attacks.” They also stressed on the need to form an inclusive political structure, and urged the Taliban to respect the human rights of all Afghans, including women.
The U.S. and India joint statement also voiced “deep concern” about the situation in Myanmar and called for the transition of the country toward an inclusive federal democratic system.
Separately, in a joint press conference, Biden said Washington’s relationship with Delhi “would define the next century.” Claiming both countries considered religious pluralism a “core principle,” the U.S. president stopped short of offering any condemnations for India’s increasing harassment of minorities, especially Muslims.
Modi, to a question, sought to rubbish claims of religious intolerance under his government. “Regardless of caste, creed, religion, gender, there’s absolutely no space for discrimination,” he claimed, as protesters across the U.S. staged demonstrations against the human rights situation in India.