Diplomatic implications: Obama’s decision to visit India explained

A senior White House official said that Obama’s decision to not visit Pakistan — who will visit India on a three-day trip next week — is in the interest of all three countries, IBN Live reported on Thursday. Responding to a question whether the White House wrestled with diplomatic implications of Obama not visiting Pakistan and only India, Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said, “Frankly, that’s in the interest of all the three countries.” “Considering the sensitivity of the issue, he had called Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to inform him about his decision to travel to India. The president was not able to visit Pakistan in 2011, as was originally planned, given significant bilateral tensions that year, the Bin Laden raid, and a number of other incidents that took place,” Rhodes said.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 23^rd, 2015.