The US has stated that India and Pakistan must work together to address bilateral issues. US added that it has always urged the two nuclear-armed neighbours to have a “more stable” relationship in the future.
“India and Pakistan’s issues are ones for them to work out between themselves,”
Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Dean Thompson told reporters on Saturday.
“We are pleased to see that the cease-fire that went into place earlier this year has remained intact, and we certainly always encourage them to continue their efforts to find ways to build a more stable relationship going forward,” he added.
Both countries agreed in February to follow through on a 2003 cease-fire deal along Kashmir’s disputed border.
Muslim-majority India and Pakistan are at odds over Kashmir. Both claim it in its whole and govern it in part, and have fought two of their three wars over it.
In August 2019, the Indian government withdrew Kashmir’s special status by abolishing Article 370 of the constitution, which gave the territory autonomy.
Pakistan has fiercely criticised India’s decision and refused to conduct discussions with it unless it reversed its decision.
New Delhi, for its part, has maintained that the decision was made to “fully integrate” India’s sole Muslim-majority area with the rest of the country and that it was a “internal matter.”
