ISLAMABAD – The United States has found nothing to suggest that India is using Afghan soil to support terrorist activities against neighboring Pakistan, according to The Express Tribune.
According to the story, the US response came on Tuesday at a news conference at the US Embassy in Islamabad.
“I don’t have the evidence what you’re referring to, but our policy is clear that no country should support non-state actors,” said US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Central and Southern Asia Alice Wells in response to a question about Pakistan’s allegations that India uses Afghan soil to foment terrorism in the country.
The diplomat also called on countries in the region to work for peace and prosperity.
Pakistan has long been expressing its concerns regarding India using the Afghan soil to create trouble and often presented the case of Indian spy Kulbushan Yadhav as evidence.
The American diplomat, nevertheless, made it clear that US would never condone or support any use of ‘terrorist proxies against another country’.
“We have been working very actively with Pakistan to combat whether it’s al Qaeda or TTP. Any terrorist attacking Pakistan is enemy of ours and we share very strong counter-terrorism objectives in defeating extremist forces,” Wells emphasised.
Pakistani army chief spokesman Gen. Asif Ghafoor blamed India’s foreign espionage agency (RAW) for funding and supporting the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM).
The US diplomat was in Pakistan as part of a delegation led by the US special envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, for peace talks in Afghanistan.
Ambassador @US4AfghanPeace and Ambassador Alice Wells held delegation level talks at #MoFA today. Pakistan side consisted of interagency delegation led by Mr. Aftab Khokhar, Additional Secretary (Americas). pic.twitter.com/LsS2tjhMhf
— Dr Mohammad Faisal (@ForeignOfficePk) April 29, 2019
Pakistan has repeatedly accused India of using Afghanistan to create riots and tensions in the country.
Wells said the US welcomed Prime Minister Imran’s public statements affirming his resolve not to allow Pakistan’s soil to be used against any other country.
“I would positively note that many comments the prime minister has made in public underscoring his government’s commitment to moving away from non-state actors to ensuring that the national action plan that Pakistan has forged is implemented,” she said.
She said the steps the government had so far taken to implement the national action plan were ‘positive.’
The government had briefed the diplomatic corps and international community on the detention of leaders of proscribed groups, the seizure of assets and provincial control over some of the physical infrastructure, she noted.