Move more troops from Indian border to Afghanistan side, US tells Pak
By ANISunday, June 28, 2009
WASHINGTON - The United States has reiterated that Pakistan must move its troops stationed along the Indian border to the western Afghan border to focus more on the terror threat emanating from that area.
Addressing a Congressional hearing here, the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Robert O Blake said that Pakistan needed to move more troops from its border with India to the western parts of the country to fight terrorism.
Blake said that the United States would support talks between Indian and Pakistan to establish peace and stability in the region, but added that it would not interfere in the bilateral talks, and leave it to the two countries ‘to chart their own course of action.’
“India and Pakistan face common challenge and we will support continuing dialogue to find joint solutions to counter terrorism and to promote regional stability,” The Dawn quoted Blake, as saying.
Referring to the meeting of Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari in Russia’s Yekaterinburg earlier this month, Blake said that such engagements were encouraging particularly after the heightened tension between both the countries in the wake of November 2008 Mumbai carnage.
“We will continue to support dialogue between Indian and Pakistani leaders. The timing, scope and content of any such dialogue are strictly matters for Pakistani and Indian leaders to decide,” Blake said.
The United States is pushing for the stalled bilateral talks between India and Pakistan to resume as soon as possible. It had even sent a special envoy, Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, William Burns, to New Delhi with a letter for Dr.Manmohan Singh recently.
The contents of the letter were not disclosed, but media reports suggested that President Obama urged the Indian leadership to resume dialogue with Pakistan. (ANI)
