Says resolution has to be bilateral
WASHINGTON, OCT 22
Rejecting fresh calls by Pakistan seeking its intervention on the Kashmir issue, the US has made it clear that it was for India and Pakistan to find a resolution through “additional dialogue”.
The American position was affirmed a day after Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi insisted that US play an active role in the resolution of Kashmir and other disputes in the South Asian region.
“We recognise the importance of Kashmir to both countries. We absolutely want to see tensions eased and ultimately a resolution to the situation in Kashmir,” State Department spokesman P J Crowley said at a news conference.
“That we believe needs to come through additional dialogue between Pakistan and India. We have not been asked by both countries to play a particular role,” he said.
“But this is the reason why, for a number of reasons we continue to encourage further dialogue between India and Pakistan,” Crowley said.
Qureshi, who is in Washington for the US-Pak Strategic Dialogue, had raised the Kashmir issue at a conference, asking the US to help in its resolution.
