Tulsi Gabbard slams Pakistan for supporting terror outfits

Washington, Oct 7: An influential American lawmaker slammed Pakistan for continuing to provide "tacit and overt" support for terrorism and allowing terror outfits access into India as she pledged to work with other Congressional colleagues to cut back assistance to the country.

Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu lawmaker in the US House of Representatives, said Pakistan has "continued to allow terrorist organisations to operate within their borders, moving across borders and unchecked, allowing access into India".

She said the recent terrorist attack in Uri which killed 19 Indian soldiers is deeply troubling. "People within the Pakistani government continue to provide tacit and overt support for terrorism. This is not new - this pattern of attacks has been occurring now for the past 15 years, and it must end.

"That's why I've continued working in Congress to cut back US assistance for Pakistan and increase pressure on Pakistan to stop this violence. In the past, the US government took steps to increase pressure on Pakistan, and it's time to revisit that approach," Gabbard, a two-term Congresswoman from Hawaii, said in a statement.

She said the Pakistan government must fully cooperate in the investigation of these attacks, take clear, verifiable actions to put an immediate stop to these cross border attacks, and prosecute all those responsible.

"We stand in solidarity with India in the face of these attacks and will continue to work together in this fight against terrorism," she said.

PTI