US not to intervene in Indo-Pak talks over Kashmir

WASHINGTON - The United States has reiterated that it would not intervene to mediate in talks between India and Pakistan over long pending issues like Kashmir and river water sharing unless both the neighbouring nations asks it to do so.

Talking to media persons at the Foreign Press Centre here, Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, Robert Blake said that during his recent visit to India and Pakistan, he had clarified that the Obama Administration wants good relationship between both south-Asian countries, but it would not play a role of an ‘interlocutor.’

Blake said it was also wrong to presume that India and Pakistan could not progress on the Kashmir issue unless some international players were not included in the process.

He also pointed out that in 2004 both the countries had made significant progress in talks on all the issues, including Kashmir.

Acknowledging that Pakistan has made ’significant’ progress in the war on terror, Blake, however, stressed that strong action against various extremist groups based in Punjab, which targets India in particular, is yet to be seen.

“It is up to Pakistan’s security forces to decide when and what to do,” The News quoted Blake, as saying.

“I think one can argue there is a lot of important progress that has been made but we think there also needs to be progress against these Punjab-based groups,” he added

Blake was referring to banned militant groups such as the LeT, which carried out the 26/11 attacks, and the Jaish-e-Muhammad, which joined hands with the LeT to launch an attack on the Indian parliament in 2001. (ANI)