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FO Rejects ‘Unacceptable’ Reference to Pakistan in U.S.-India Joint Statement

by Staff Report

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Spokesperson calls on global community to urge India against playing any role detrimental to regional peace and stability

The Foreign Office on Tuesday rejected an “unacceptable” reference to Pakistan in a statement issued by the U.S.-India Counter-Terrorism Joint Working Group and Designations Dialogue.

“Our serious concerns and rejection of the unacceptable reference to Pakistan in the joint statement have been conveyed to the U.S. side,” read the statement issued by Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri. “It is important that partner countries take an objective view of the issues of peace and security in South Asia and refrain from endorsing positions that are one-sided and divorced from ground realities,” it added.

The joint statement, issued on Sept. 10, focused on counterterrorism cooperation between Washington and Delhi, and emphasized “concerted action” against terrorist networks such as Al Qaeda, Islamic State, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and Hizbul Mujahideen. “The two sides underlined the urgent need for Pakistan to take immediate, sustained, and irreversible action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for terrorist attacks, and to expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators of such attacks, including 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot,” read the statement in reference to Pakistan.

In its statement, the Foreign Office stressed that the international community was aware of Pakistan’s status as a country that had been among the most impacted by cross-border terrorism “sponsored and supported by India.” It said that the global community has also recognized Pakistan’s efforts, sacrifices and successes in the fight against terrorism.

“Pakistan has repeatedly underlined that peace and stability in South Asia is threatened by the irresponsible policies and actions of the RSS-BJP regime in India—including towards its minorities, its state terrorism in occupied Kashmir, and its belligerence against Pakistan and other countries in the region,” read the statement. “The international community must urge India to reverse course and desist from playing a role detrimental to regional peace and stability,” it added.

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