NEW DELHI: The United States has now adopted a proactive posture viz a viz India and Pakistan. The Pentagon fielded its Press Secretary Peter Cook to say, “we are aware that the Indian and Pakistani militaries have been in communication with one another and we encourage these continued discussions between India and Pakistan as a means to reduce any tensions that may be out there.”
He further added that US officials are in contact with both countries, a significant departure from the Washington line that maintained it was for India and Pakistan to resolve their differences.
Cook said US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and the US government hoped that India and Pakistan would make an effort at communication, and address the concerns by lowering tensions. "That is certainly a view that he (Carter) shares with others in the US government," he said.
America's view on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons is clear, Cook said."This is obviously something that this government and others around the world want to keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of terrorists. And that is something that our views on that are quite clear," Cook added.
Similar concerns were echoed in Geneva where a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein was “seriously concerned about the human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir, as well as the rising tensions between India and Pakistan.” The official reiterated the UN body's call for unfettered and unconditional access to both Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-administered Kashmir to enable it to independently and impartially monitor the human rights situation."We stand ready to support efforts to de-escalate the situation," the spokesperson added.
The ratcheting up of war prospects between India and Pakistan have moved the spotlights from Kashmir, for the moment at least, although global statements continued to link the Valley with the heightened tensions between the two neighbours.
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