Washington: The US has ruled out any mediation on the Kashmir issue as long as India rejects such a proposal and asked Pakistan to avoid employing militancy as an instrument of state policy.
“As long as India rejects any actual mediation rpt mediation there's not much we can do in that regard specifically,” Special US Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan James Dobbins told state-run Pakistani Television (PTV).
“India has consistently rejected any third party mediation and argued that this is an issue that needs to be negotiated directly and without the participation of any third party. So they've rejected mediation,” said Dobbins, who was recently on a visit to Pakistan.
“I think as long as they reject mediation, there is only a limited amount that the US or any other party can do. We certainly in our dialogue with Pakistan and India encourage improved relations, encourage improved trade relations, encourage improved dialogue on strategy and military issues, and we certainly encourage dialogue and negotiation on the territorial issues that separate the two countries,” he said.
Echoing India's concerns over cross-border terrorism, he said India certainly is concerned about cross-border militancy and terrorist attacks that have been conducted in India which they believe had their origin on Pakistani territory.
“I think as is the case with Afghanistan, this is something that's in everybody's interest. I think all of the states of the region need to avoid employing militancy as an instrument of policy,” he said.
