The United States and India condemned the “use of terrorist proxies and cross border terrorism” in all its forms and called on Pakistan to take "immediate, sustained, and irreversible action" to ensure that no territory under its control was used for terrorist attacks.

In a joint statement issued after the fourth ‘2+2’ ministerial dialogue, Indian and US ministers “strongly condemned any use of terrorist proxies and cross-border terrorism in all its forms and called for the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai attack, and Pathankot attack, to be brought to justice."

On Tuesday, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh concluded the ‘2+2’ dialogue with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, where the two sides discussed a whole range of issues and cooperation, including on terrorism and counter-terrorism. 

“The Ministers called on Pakistan to take immediate, sustained, and irreversible actions to ensure that no territory under its control is used for terrorist attacks,” reads the joint statement released by the US Embassy in India, New Delhi.”

The two countries also called for concerted action against all terrorist groups, including groups proscribed by the UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee, such as al-Qa’ida, ISIS/Daesh, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and Hizb ul Mujahideen.  

Significantly, an anti-terrorism court has recently sentenced Hafiz Saeed, the head of the Lashkar-e-Taeba, to a total of 31 years in jail in two terror-related cases.

The absence of prosecution and conviction against UN-designated terrorists in Pakistan remains one of the few remaining roadblocks for Islamabad to get off the FATF grey list.

On Afghanistan, the ministers reiterated their demand for the formation of an inclusive government and called on the Taliban to abide by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution (2021), which demands that Afghan territory must never again be used to threaten or attack any country or to shelter or train terrorists or to plan or finance terrorist attacks.

(SAM)