Pakistan’s support for terror obstacle in talks with India: US

TIL Desk/World/Washington/ The United States has said it supports a direct dialogue between India and Pakistan as outlined in the Shimla Agreement, asserting that the “chief obstacle” to talks remain Islamabad’s continued support to extremist groups that engage in cross-border terrorism.              

“We believe that direct dialogue between India and Pakistan, as outlined in the 1972 Shimla Agreement, holds the most potential for reducing tensions,” Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Alice G Wells told Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and Nonproliferation of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.          

She said during 2006-2007 backchannel negotiations, India and Pakistan reportedly made significant progress on a number of issues, including Kashmir. “History shows us what is possible,” Wells said on Monday in a prepared statement submitted to the Congressional subcommittee on the eve of the hearing “Human Rights in South Asia: Views from the State Department and the Region”.