Kerry said Pakistan had made progress in the fight against extremism in recent months, but urged Islamabad to push harder against militants hiding within its borders.
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In a seeming balancing act a day after he slammed Pakistan for making distinctions between “good terrorists” and “bad terrorists”, U.S. secretary of state John Kerry on Wednesday said Pakistan itself has been a victim of terrorism and lost over 50,000 people to violent acts.
“It is clear that Pakistan has work to do in order to push harder against its indigenous groups that are engaged in terrorist activities”, Kerry said at the India Institute of Technology in New Delhi on Wednesday, the second day of a visit to India.
Kerry stressed on the tightening of relations between biggest two democracies, said, “Strengthening Indo-US relations is a top priority for the United States”.
For India to create jobs for the 13 million people who enter the labour market every year, Kerry said in a speech at an engineering college that the business climate must be improved.
American support to right to protest was the highlight of a monsoon-drenched day that Kerry concluded with a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi whom he briefed about the S&CD.
Despite many attempts made by me and US President Barack Obama, India lost its NSG bid due to opposition by few countries, said Kerry. Her coming forthright on Pakistan’s spreading of misinformation about India stalling the bilateral talk will ameliorate the confusion brewing out of the current conflict in Jammu & Kashmir. “We also agreed that countries must not categorise terrorists as good or bad”, said the Indian foreign minister.
India’s success as a democracy also makes it a valuable alternative when compared with other major powers in the region, including a Communist China and an increasingly authoritarian Russian Federation.
Following heavy rains on Wednesday morning, Kerry postponed his scheduled visits to the Sisganj Gurdwara, the Jama Masjid and a Hindu temple in New Delhi.
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Kerry, accompanied by the Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker also addressed other vital issues like multilateralism and easier visa regime for Indian workers to the United States which are equally important for India as the country is trying to carve its niche in major global forums. “People wouldn’t know what’s going on”.
INP adds: Meanwhile, US State Department Spokesman John Kirby has said that the Haqqani Network is still a threat to regional security and the Pentagon is fully aware of this threat.
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Kerry, due to return from New Delhi to Washington on Thursday, is now extending his stay in India and will join President Obama in China for the G-20 this weekend.
