Islamabad said that Washington should not make baseless statements about the situation of Muslims in Kashmir, affecting US-Pakistan relations.
 |
| Pakistan objected to the US-India joint statement agreed upon by the two countries' leaders in Washington DC on June 23. (Source: Reuters) |
On June 26, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry summoned US Deputy Ambassador Andrew Schofer to criticize part of the joint statement last week by the US and Indian leaders, which called on the South Asian country not to allow its territory to be used as a base by Islamist militants, especially in the Kashmir region.
Saying that Washington should not make unfounded comments regarding the situation of Muslims in Kashmir, Islamabad’s statement also stated: “Counter-terrorism cooperation between Pakistan and the US is progressing well and a conducive environment, centered on trust and understanding, is imperative to further strengthen Pakistan-US relations.”
Previously, Pakistan also called the comments of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and host country President Joe Biden in Washington DC (USA) on June 23 "contrary to diplomatic rules".
New Delhi says Islamabad has been helping Islamist militants who have been fighting Indian security forces along the Kashmir border since the late 1980s. Pakistan denies the accusations and says it only provides diplomatic and moral support to Kashmiris seeking self-determination.
* In related news, earlier in the day, Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman objected to former US President Barack Obama's comments about minority Muslims in the South Asian country.
Speaking on June 25, Ms. Sitharaman said she was "shocked" by such comments by former US President Barack Obama, in the context of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Washington to deepen bilateral relations.
Last week, speaking on CNN (USA), Mr. Obama said that the issue of “protecting minority Muslims in India, a country with a majority of Hindus living” should come up in the discussion between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden. The former US President commented that without such protection, “it is possible that at some point, India could split up.”
The US State Department has raised concerns about the rights of Muslims and other religious minorities in India under Mr Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party. But New Delhi insists it treats all citizens equally.
Source
Comment (0)