WASHINGTON: The United States has unambiguously distanced itself from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s attempt to internationalise the Baloch issue and in the process has also assured Pakistan of its continued support to the country\u2019s territorial integrity.
\n\u201cThe US government respects the unity and territorial integrity of Pakistan and we do not support independence for Balochistan,\u201d US State Department spokesman John Kirby told a recent news briefing in Washington.
\nThe Baloch issue came up at the State Department\u2019s regular news briefing during the Eid holidays, when an Indian journalist asked Mr Kirby to explain the official US policy on \u201chuman rights violations and the fight for freedom\u201d in Balochistan.
\nThe journalist reminded the US official that the Indian prime minister also was championing the Baloch cause and had raised it at various international platforms.
\nApparently not satisfied with Mr Kirby\u2019s response, the journalist informed him that there were \u201cpersons and groups\u201d in the United States who were working for Balochistan\u2019s freedom. \u201cDo you support \u2013 do you tolerate them (who are raising this issue) from US soil?\u201d he asked.
\n\u201cAs I said, the government policy is that we support the territorial integrity of Pakistan and we do not support independence for Balochistan,\u201d said the US official, repeating his earlier stance.
\n\u201cSo do you have any reaction to the Indian prime minister\u2019s statements on that particular subject?\u201d the journalist asked again.
\n\u201cI think I just gave you our reaction to events there,\u201d Mr Kirby retorted.
\nThe US position on Balochistan is a clear setback for New Delhi, which plans to use the UN General Assembly in New York next week to stop Pakistan from raising the current situation in India-held Kashmir.
\nDespite the Indian pressure, Pakistan is expected to focus on Kashmir inside the General Assembly, as well as in other sideline meetings, such as that of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
\nPrime Minister Nawaz Sharif is expected to arrive in New York on Sunday to attend the UN session and so far Kashmir is high on the list of issues he is likely to raise in his address to the General Assembly on Sept 20.
\nMr Modi will not attend the General Assembly this year. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will represent him.
\nAs foreign minister, she will speak days after Nawaz Sharif, giving India sufficient time to respond to the issues Mr Sharif will raise in his speech.
\n\u201cSo if Mr Sharif talks about Kashmir, he should be ready to see Balochistan raised inside the UN General Assembly,\u201d said an Indian source familiar with the official Indian position on this dispute.
\nModi\u2019s campaignIn an address to the nation on India\u2019s independence day, Mr Modi talked about the situation in Balochistan and later urged Indian diplomats and media to highlight this issue in world capitals.
\nPakistan reacted angrily to the speech, calling it a breach of international norms and intrusion in the country\u2019s sovereignty.
\nPakistani officials said the Indian prime minister was trying to hide the atrocities committed by Indian security forces in occupied Kashmir by bracketing the situation in the Valley with Balochistan, which, unlike occupied Kashmir, was not a disputed territory.
\nThey pointed out that Kashmir was an internationally recognised dispute and there were UN resolutions supporting the right of self-determination for Kashmiri people.
\nBut last month, Bangladesh and former Afghan president Hamid Karzai supported the Indian position, encouraging Mr Modi to continue his campaign against Pakistan.
\nThe situation has raised alarms in Washington, where officials are urging both India and Pakistan to resume their dialogue for reducing tensions in South Asia.
\n\u201cWe strongly support all efforts between India and Pakistan that can contribute to a more stable and prosperous region, and that includes meetings at any level between Indian and Pakistani officials,\u201d said the State Department\u2019s deputy spokesman, Mark Toner.
\nIn reply to a question about renewed tensions between South Asia\u2019s two nuclear armed neighbours, Mr Toner said at a news briefing that the United States had always encouraged direct talks between the two countries.
\n\u201cOur long-standing position has always been that India and Pakistan stand to benefit from a normalisation of relations and practical coopertion,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
WASHINGTON: The United States has unambiguously distanced itself from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s attempt to internationalise the Baloch issue and in the process has also assured Pakistan of its continued support to the country\u2019s territorial integrity. \u201cThe US government respects the unity and territorial integrity of Pakistan and we do not support independence for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3438","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-top-news"],"yoast_head":"\n