(Image source from: US urges India)

In the wake of the latest terror strikes on two of the Indian targets including the Pathankot air force base and the Indian consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif in Afghanistan, India and Pakistan were urged by the US to stay the course on improving bilateral relation.

State department spokesperson John Kirby described terrorism as a shared challenge, for which all the countries in the region must fight together and said that the U.S

“strongly encouraged the governments of both India and Pakistan to remain steadfast in their commitment to a more secure and prosperous future for both their countries and for the region.”

“And we in the United States want everybody to treat it as a shared challenge. And the Government of Pakistan has spoken to this, has spoken very powerfully to this, and it’s certainly our expectation that they’ll do exactly what they’ve said they will,” Mr Kirby said

“We’re mindful that there remain some safe havens that we obviously want to see cleared out. And we continue to engage with the Government of Pakistan to that end,” he added.

Mr Kirby said that the US made it clear “with the highest levels” of the Pakistan government regarding its indiscriminate counterterrorism operations among terrorist groups.

According to sources, the US officials have been in touch with Pak and India all through the weekend. On Sunday, the US called upon all countries to get together to disrupt and dismantle all the networks of terrorists. Mr. Kirby said that Pak also suffered due to terrorism.

Elaborating on terrorism as a ‘shared challenge’, Mr. Kirby said, “Thousands and thousands of Pakistani soldiers have been killed. Thousands of Pakistani citizens – innocent Pakistani citizens – have been killed or injured by terrorist attacks….. And what we want….and will continue to work for is increased cooperation, communication, coordination; increased information sharing and increased efforts against what we all believe is a shared challenge in the region. ….we recognize there’s more everybody can do – not just
Pakistan, but every nation in the region can do – because it is a shared challenge."

-Sumana