NEW DELHI : Expressing grave concern over the Pathankot terror attack, the US today called upon Pakistan to take immediate action ”consistent with facts” and urged India to continue dialogue with Pakistan. ”Obama’s view is that dialogue is always useful. We praise the Indian Government?s efforts for dialogue.
We hope India will continue communication,” US Under Secretary of State for Civilian Rights, Democracy and Human Rights Sarah Sewall said here, answering a question from the audience after delivering a lecture on ‘Democratic Values and Violent Extremism’ at the Vivekananda International Foundation here. She also described the Pathankot terror strike as ”an issue of great concern to US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry, and said, ”we will continue to press for action consistent with facts.”
”We have made it clear that we will continue to push until action is taken,” she said. Dr Sewall said the US stood with India and all other countries in the region against the common threat of terrorism. ”And we will continue to press Pakistan to do everything in their power to help India achieve justice for the Mumbai terror attacks ? which claimed both Indian and American lives,” she said.
Replying to a specific question as to whether India should opt for military action as the diplomatic option with a weak government was not yielding result, Dr Sewall said military action was useful, when the target was clear but here, the situation was different as the attackers were acting like insurgent groups.
Earlier in her address, she dwelt at length on the shared common challenges and values of India and the US. ”We have also been brought together by the shared trauma of terrorism – from the attacks against the United States on 9/11 to the attacks in Mumbai on 26/11, to the recent bloodshed in Pathankot earlier this month.(Agencies)
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