NEW DELHI/WASHINGTON, Sept 28:
As India and few other South Asian countries have announced their decision to pull out of the SAARC Summit, the US has stressed that Pakistan should act against groups engaged in terrorist activities in its neighbourhood.
The US, however, urged both India and Pakistan not to escalate tension and maintain dialogue for normalisation of relations.
‘’While we have seen Pakistan to make progress on some of the terrorist groups operating within its own borders and carrying out attacks within its borders, we continue to put pressure on them to respond to those groups who are seeking safe haven on Pakistan’s borders,’’ State Department Deputy Spokesperson Mark Toner said at the daily media briefing in Washington.
‘’It is in mutual interest for both the countries to put aside tensions and establish more normal channels of communication,’’ Mr Toner said. White House Press Secretary Josh Ernest also condemned terrorist attacks, but said India and Pakistan should find ways to resolve their differences, not through violence, but through diplomacy.
India had yesterday conveyed to current SAARC Chair Nepal that increasing cross-border terrorist attacks in the region and growing interference in the internal affairs of Member States by one country had created an environment that was not conducive to the successful holding of the 19th SAARC Summit in Islamabad.
Later, Bangladesh and Bhutan also announced their decision to boycott the SAARC Summit to be held in Islamabad in November. Afghanistan has already given a call to boycott the Summit for the same reason as advanced by India. (UNI)
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