Modi-Biden joint statement: Pakistan’s strong protest against America
Spokesperson of Foreign Office says "Pakistan-US cooperation against terrorism continues, however, joint narrative of Joe Biden and Modi may damage relationship, so in order to maintain an environment focused on "trust and understanding", such statements should be Avoided in future
Ministry of External Affairs on Monday summoned US Deputy Chief of Mission, Andrew Schoffer, and handed him a strong letter of protest over joint statement issued by US and India, calling for action against extremists in Pakistan from Islamabad. was demanded. On the other hand, shortly after the protest letter, US spokesperson Matthew Miller has again issued a statement saying that Pakistan should continue the process of ensuring the ban on terrorist groups.
US President Joe Biden gave Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi a red carpet rollout at the White House last week, on which the two countries signed major defense and technology deals.
The visit was used by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to advance India’s agenda against Islamabad. A joint statement issued by the two heads of state called on Pakistan to crack down on extremists targeting New Delhi.
The joint statement by the two leaders strongly condemned cross-border terrorism and the use of terrorist proxies. The statement called on Pakistan to take immediate action to ensure that the areas where terrorists operate from, and to ensure that Pakistan’s soil is not used for terrorist activities. ”
On Monday, the Foreign Office (FO) summoned the US Deputy Chief of Mission and described the joint statement as “grossly unnecessary. The statement is one-sided and riddled with misleading references.” Concerns and frustrations have been expressed.”
The Foreign Office stressed in its statement that “the US should refrain from issuing statements that encourage India’s baseless and politically motivated narrative against Pakistan.”
The statement emphasized that “all are well aware of the anti-terrorism cooperation between Pakistan and the United States, and that cooperation is moving forward, and that it is based on “trust and understanding”. The environment is indispensable for further strengthening Pak-US relations.
It should be remembered that even earlier, the Foreign Office had said in a statement that the joint statement of Joe Biden and Narendra Modi regarding Pakistan was “contrary to diplomatic principles and may have political implications”.
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also criticized the joint statement and expressed their reservations.
Press briefing by US spokesman Matthew Miller
During a press briefing in Washington, US spokesman Matthew Miller said that we believe that Pakistan has taken many steps against terrorism, but Islamabad continues to take steps to ensure the ban on more terrorist groups in Pakistan.
US spokesman Matthew Miller has urged Pakistan to continue its operations against Lashkar-e-Taiba and other affiliates, including Jaish-e-Mohammed.
Matthew Miller said that the US is in constant contact with Pakistani authorities in this regard, which was part of the 2023 Counter-Terrorism Dialogue.
