U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday said he spoke to Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on the topic of taking “meaningful action” against terrorist groups operating on Pakistan soil, following an air strike by India inside Pakistan .
“I spoke to Pakistani Foreign Minister Qureshi to underscore the priority of de-escalating current tensions by avoiding military action, and the urgency of Pakistan taking meaningful action against terrorist groups operating on its soil,” said Mr. Pompeo in a statment.
He said he also spoke to the Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj. “Following Indian counter-terrorism actions on February 26, I spoke with the Indian Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj to emphasise our close security partnership and shared goal of maintaining peace and security in the region,” said Mr. Pompeo.
In his statement, he also urged them to avoid “further military activity”.
“I expressed to both Ministers that we encourage India and Pakistan to exercise restraint, and avoid escalation at any cost,” Mr. Pompeo said. “I also encouraged both Ministers to prioritise direct communication and avoid further military activity,” he added.
Published - February 27, 2019 09:07 am IST
