Washington: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan has written a second letter to Prime Minister Modi after his re-election in 2019, saying that Pakistan wants to talk with India and resolve issues between both the countries, including the Kashmir issue. Khan also added, talks between the two nations were the only solution to help both countries’ people overcome poverty and that it was important to work together for regional development.

However, India has rejected Pakistan’s offer to talk maintaining that terror and talks cannot go together and confirmed that no meeting between the two leaders has been planned on the side-lines of the Shanghai Cooperation Summit (SCO) in Bishkek on June 13-14.

What the United States is really looking for in Pakistan are arrests and prosecutions and not allowing terror groups to operate and move around freely, acquire weapons, cross into India, carry out attacks, a senior White House official told PTI this week.

Also read: Security forces kill 4 suspected JeM terrorists in Pulwama

Until the terror groups are put out of business, it’s going to be very difficult for India and Pakistan to achieve a sustained peace. Therefore, the onus is on Pakistan to ensure that they crack down on these organisations, said the White House official responding to a question on the US assessment of the Indo-Pak tension.

A senior state department official said that in the wake of the Pulwama terrorist attack, the US has seen Pakistan taking some initial actions against designated terrorist organisations and more steps to enhance counter terrorism financing measures.

We welcome those steps, the official said.

Pakistan needs to take practical steps to demonstrate that it is countering terrorist financing and extremists that are located on their territory, a senior State Department Official told reporters last week.