In what can be seen as a win for India, which has been pushing for the international community to recognise its neighbour’s role in aiding terrorism, US Vice-President Kamala Harris took ‘suo motu’ cognizance of Pakistan’s role as she met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.
When the issue of terrorism came up, the Vice President suo moto referred Pakistan’s role in that regard (of terrorism), Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla told reporters when asked if the issue of Pakistan’s role in terrorism came up during her meeting with Prime Minister Modi. According to Shringla, Harris said that there were terror groups that were working in Pakistan.
“On terrorism, US VP Kamala Harris suo motu referred to Pakistan’s role in that regard. She said that there were terror groups working there. She asked Pakistan to take action so that these groups don’t impact US security and of India,” said Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla. Harris said that it is incumbent on the two nations to protect democracies in the best interests of people of the two countries.
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“As democracies around the world are under threat, it is imperative that we defend democratic principles and institutions within our respective countries and around the world. And that we maintain what we must do to strengthen democracies at home and it is incumbent on our nations to of course protect democracies in the best interests of people of our countries, she said. Their meeting comes a day ahead of the maiden bilateral meeting between Modi and President Joe Biden and the Quad Leaders’ Summit at the White House on Friday.
US miffed with Pakistan
This isn’t the first time that the US has vocally attacked Pakistan over terrorism. During the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, US lawmakers cutting across party lines demanded more severe action against Islamabad for its subversion role in Afghanistan. The top two members of the committee, New Jersey Democrat Bob Menendez and Idaho Republican James Risch, both assailed the withdrawal as a debacle in their opening remarks and demanded action against Pakistan for “double-dealing in Afghanistan”.
Bob Menendez Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee asserted, “We need to understand the double-dealing by Pakistan and providing a safe haven to the Taliban.”
US Senator Marco Rubio said they must understand Pakistan’s role in the entire matter and said that it is a difficult but important situation.
Dirty game in Afghanistan
The United States’ long-pending exit from Afghanistan is the latest point of inflection in the decades-old bilateral ties with Pakistan. Islamabad was seen for long by the US as the mediator in Taliban, but after the US exit, the US administration is seeing it as a reason behind Taliban’s victory.
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With Pakistan looking to control the state of affairs in Afghanistan with the ISI chief reportedly acting as a mediator between competing sections of the Taliban, it is being said that Pakistan was playing its moves in Afghanistan. The ISI chief ensured a major share to the Haqqani faction in the Taliban interim government.
To conclude the state of affairs in Afghanistan, it is clear that the regional chaos in Afghanistan has left little room for the US-Pakistan relations. It is matter of fact that in the shuffling geo-political alignments, Pakistan in seen to be on the side of China and Taliban.
US and India Raise Concerns for Democracy
Welcoming PM Modi in her ceremonial office, Kamala Harris said that as democracies around the world are under threat, it is imperative that we defend democratic principles and institutions within our respective countries and around the world, and that we maintain what we must do to strengthen democracy at home and it is incumbent to protect democracy in the best interest of the people of our country.
India, she said, is a very vital partner to the United States. Throughout our history, our nations have worked together and stood together, to make our world a safer and stronger world.
Kamala Harris reiterated that India is an ally in the Indo-Pacific and added, “The United States, like India, feels very strongly about the pride of being a member of the Indo Pacific, but also the fragilities of the importance and the strength as well of those relationships, including maintaining a free and open Indo Pacific.”
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