The Unite States has asked Pakistan to prosecute terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar.
Speaking at a special briefing during the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York today, US Acting Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia, Alice Wells said the reduction of the Indo-Pak tensions would depend on Islamabad’s seriousness in taking action against those who engage in cross-border infiltration.
When asked about President Donald Trump’s offer to mediate on the Kashmir issue, Ms Wells said, Prime Minister Modi has already made it clear that he was not seeking mediation.
She said, President Trump is willing to mediate if asked by both parties. She said, US would like to see conditions where India and Pakistan can have a constructive conversation that leads to an improvement of relations. But, Pakistan has to take steps against terrorism including prosecution of UN-designated terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar, Wells added.
Ms Wells said, the region’s stability and economic growth has long been unnaturally constrained because Central Asia is not taking advantage of the natural north-south trade into India.
Pakistan is also not benefiting from living next to a 1.3 billion-person market, she said, referring to India.
She also criticized Pak Prime Minister Imran Khan for not speaking out against China, which has detained an estimated one million Uyghurs and other Turkic-speaking Muslims in Xinjiang province.
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