As the US State Department reaffirmed its strong support for India’s fight against terror, a top US military official said the country needs to have a relationship with both India and Pakistan because of the Pakistani military’s role in countering the threat from Islamic State-Khorasan Province. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Tuesday that Christopher Landau, Deputy Secretary of State, “met with the Indian parliamentary delegation last week, and he also reaffirmed the United States strong support of India in the fight against terrorism, and strategic partnership between those two countries”. The delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor met Landau last week in Washington as part of Delhi’s global outreach effort after Operation Sindoor. Meanwhile, during a hearing Tuesday by the House Armed Services Committee, General Michael Kurilla, chief of the US Central Command, as a “phenomenal partner” in counter-terrorism. During his testimony, Kurilla highlighted the role of the Pakistan military and Army chief Asim Munir in combating ISIS-Khorasan Province, or IS-KP. “The actions of our Pakistani partners that led to the arrest and extradition of Mohammad Sharifullah, the ISIS-K planner behind the 26 August 2021 suicide attack at Abbey Gate that killed 13 US service members and approximately 160 civilians, highlights Pakistan’s value as a partner in countering CASA terror EXOPs threats worldwide, and it will only increase as the Taliban continues to face security challenges within its borders,” he said. “That’s why we need… to have a relationship with Pakistan and with India. I do not believe it is a binary switch that we can’t have one with Pakistan if we have a relationship with India,” Kurilla said while answering questions from members of the panel, adding, “We should look at the merits of the relationship for the positives that it has.” At the State Department press briefing, Bruce also said that a Pakistani parliamentary delegation led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari met officials of the State Department, including Under Secretary for Political Affairs Allison Hooker, during its visit to Washington last week. Hooker reiterated the US support for the ongoing cessation of on-ground hostilities “between India and Pakistan”, Bruce said. “They also discussed important issues to the bilateral relationship, including counterterrorism cooperation.” Asked if the US received any assurance from Pakistan that it will take action against terrorists, Bruce said she was not going to discuss the details of those conversations. In response to another question on President Donald Trump offering to “mediate” on Kashmir, Bruce said, “While I can’t speak to his plans, the world knows his nature, and I can’t speak to any details of what he might have in that regard… But it is an exciting time if we can get to a point in that particular conflict.” Delhi has ruled out mediation saying the only outstanding matter is the vacation of territory illegally occupied by Pakistan. Last month, Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, said: “We have a longstanding national position that any issues pertaining to the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir have to be addressed by India and Pakistan bilaterally. That stated policy has not changed. As you are aware, the outstanding matter is the vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory by Pakistan.”
