‘India could soften relations with Pak’
WASHINGTON : The United States has said it expects India to take steps towards“rapprochement” with Pakistan for the larger goal of stability in the region, while also warning Islamabad that it risks losing military aid and the non-Nato-ally status if it did not act against terrorism originating from its soil.
“India and Pakistan, they have their own issues that they have to continue to work through,” secretary of state Rex Tillerson told reporter son Tuesday in response to a question if Pakistan could withstand the pressure being brought on it by a new strategy signalled by President Donald Trump in a statement a day earlier. “But I think there are areas where perhaps even India can take some steps of rapprochement on issues with Pakistan to improve the stability within Pakistan and remove some of the reasons why they deal with these unstable elements inside their own country.” Tillerson did not spell out those areas or issues.
The secretary of state warned Pakistan that the cost of not doing enough to shut down terrorist sanctuaries on its soil could bring its “status as a non-NATO ally and other financial support and military aid on the table.”
Asked if going after the enemy in Afghanistan could include US strikes in Pakistan, Tillerson said, “I’m not going to comment on what it could include, but the President has been clear that we are going to protect American troops and servicemen. We are going to attack terrorists wherever they live, and we have put people on notice that if you are harbouring and providing safe haven to terrorists, be warned. Be forewarned.”
Announcing the region-based strategy for ending the war in Afghanistan, which is the longest in American history at 16 years, Trump had signalled a marked toughening of US position on Pakistan’ s“safe havens” for terrorists, and a larger role for India in stabilising Afghanistan through stepped up development and economic assistance.
Trump had not referred to India-Pakistan relations at all, disappointing those who had during there view process suggested the US could use the new strategy to push India and Pakistan to resume talks on Kashmir, a potentially dangerous flashpoint in a nuclear neighbourhood.