Gurdaspur attack: US hails Pakistan’s condemnation of militants’ siege in India

Also appreciates Islamabad’s positive role in facilitating Afghan peace and reconciliation talks

ISLAMABAD: A top US diplomat has welcomed Pakistan’s strong condemnation of this week’s militant attack in India’s northeastern Gurdaspur city and hoped that relations between the two hyphenated but hostile neighbours would improve.

The US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Daniel Feldman, made these remarks during a meeting with Prime Minister’s Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, said a statement issued on Friday by the Foreign Office.

His remarks came against the backdrop of Indian claims that three attackers came from Pakistan across the Ravi River and killed at least 10 people before being shot dead in a 12-hour-long gunfight with Indian security forces.

Pakistan strongly dismissed the allegations and insisted that such ‘provocative assertions’ were a threat to peace and security of the region.

The Foreign Office said the PM’s adviser briefed the US president’s point-man for the region about Pakistan’s efforts to normalise relations with India following the recent meeting between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in the Russian city of Ufa.

The discussions also covered the ongoing political developments in the region, including Afghanistan and the current state of Pakistan-US bilateral relations.

Aziz also briefed the US special envoy about the ongoing Afghan reconciliation talks particularly following the death of Mullah Muhammad Omar, the supreme commander of Afghan Taliban.

Feldman was in Pakistan to attend the second round of talks. However, the crucial meeting was postponed at the request of the Afghan government and the Taliban following news of Mullah Omar’s demise.

According to the Foreign Office, the US envoy appreciated the positive role played by Pakistan to facilitate the Afghan reconciliation process. He noted that Pakistan-US relations were also on an upward trajectory.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 1^st, 2015.