Pakistan has to take "sustained & irreversible actions" on terror: US

Putting the onus of peace talks in Pakistan, a senior US official said that Islamabad has to take "sustained and irreversible actions" against terror outfits refuged in the country. The senior US official reiterated US President Donald Trump's willingness to mediate the Kashmir conflict between the two countries, only with the consent of both nations. 

India has not only maintained that Kashmir is an internal issue rejecting a third-party mediation, offered by Donald Trump in the past and the UN, but also refused to hold a dialogue with neighbour Pakistan, citing terror and talks cannot go parallel. The State Department official said the US will continue to encourage an atmosphere that allows for constructive Indo-Pak dialogue.

Trump has expressed his concern over the level of tension between India and Pakistan. And he discussed Kashmir directly in his meetings with Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Imran Khan, the official said on condition of anonymity. "He (Trump) certainly is prepared to play a mediation role, if both the countries ask. It has been India's position not to seek outside mediation," the official said.

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If the President is asked to mediate by both countries, he has expressed his willingness and his interests to help facilitate a solution, the official told a group of reporters when pressed further. India has been quite clear in Prime Minister Modi's office saying that they are not seeking mediation, the official said. However, the official said it does not mean that the US is not actively encouraging dialogue to take place and that an atmosphere for constructive dialogue between the two countries is established.

The onus for peace talks between India and Pakistan lies on Islamabad by taking sustained and irreversible actions against terrorist groups, according to the official.

The official termed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Kartarpur Corridor a welcome confidence-building measure between India and Pakistan which will help increase people-to-people contact. India and Pakistan on Thursday signed the historic agreement on the Kartarpur corridor that will allow Indian pilgrims to undertake a visa-free visit to the shrine of the Sikh religion's founder Guru Nanak Dev in Pakistan. "While it's a small step, we need more like this to also create the will, the goodwill and the environment for constructive dialogue," the official said.

Asked if the US supports India's position that "talks and terror cannot go together", the official said it is important that Pakistan take "sustainable and irreversible steps against terrorism." It is also possible to have a dialogue and the United States encourages the countries to engage as two nuclear powers living side by side, the official said.

"When you have two nuclear powers... it is important that your all avenues be explored to increase contact and communication between the two sides, the official said, adding that President Trump is engaged with leaders of both the countries.

LoC

On Tuesday, Pakistan flew the group of foreign diplomats to PoK to spur a narrative that the Indian Army was resorting to unprovoked firing in the civilian areas. The diplomats were taken to the area two days after Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said that six to ten Pakistan Army personnel were killed and three terror camps were destroyed in retaliatory action by the Indian Army opposite the Tangdhar and Keran sectors in Jammu and Kashmir. However, expectedly, Pakistan denying the claims said that no terror camps were destroyed. 

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Indian Army in an anti-terror operation struck several terror camps in PoK on Monday, according to top sources. As per inputs, the strike wiped out several terrorists, leaving the neighbour in a disarray.  The strike was reportedly carried out after 7 Pakistani SSG commandos were trying to infiltrate in the Tangdhar sector to carry out a Border Action Team (BAT) strike but were neutralised, with their bodies lying unclaimed approximately 300 m inside the Pakistan side of the LoC.

Pakistan has maintained heat across the Line of Control (LoC) with repeated ceasefire violations. Days ago, Pakistan unprovoked ceasefire violation across the LoC in Kashmir's Poonch sector targetted civilians, including children who were left stranded within the school premises. 

(With PTI inputs)