Pak rejects reference made to it in India-US joint statement

Islamabad, Oct 29: Pakistan has rejected as "unwarranted" the reference made towards it in a joint statement issued by India and the US after their 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in New Delhi.

The joint statement, issued after the high-level US-India talks on Tuesday, asked Pakistan to take immediate, sustained and irreversible action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for terrorist attacks, and to expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators of all such attacks, including 26/11 Mumbai, Uri, and Pathankot.

The two sides "emphasised the need for concerted action against all terrorist networks, including al-Qaeda, ISIS/Daesh, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen," the statement said.

Reacting to the joint statement, the Foreign Office said, "We reject the Pakistan-specific reference in the 'joint statement', issued by India and the US after their '2+2 Ministerial Dialogue', as unwarranted and misleading."

The FO urged the international community to "recognise Pakistan's efforts, sacrifices and success in the fight against terrorism."

As a country that has suffered the most from cross-border terrorism, Pakistan would continue to contribute constructively to regional and global efforts to promote peace and stability in the region, the FO said.

It also rejected the Indian government's amendments in land ownership laws in Kashmir.