US talks TOUGH with Pakistan, urges nation to take meaningful action against terrorist groups

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo separately spoke with the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan and urged the ministers of both the countries to avoid “further military activity” following an air strike by India inside Pakistan.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo separately spoke with the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan and urged the ministers of both the countries to avoid “further military activity” following an air strike by India inside Pakistan. (AFP)

New Delhi: US has 'firmly' asked Pakistan to take 'meaningful action' against terrorist groups operating on its soil. This came in the wake of Pulwama terror attack that was carried out by Paksitan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in which our country lost 40 CRPF personnel. Following the incident, India on Tuesday bombed and destroyed JeM's biggest training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, about 80-km from the Line of Control (LoC) early Tuesday, killing a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders. US has also underscored the importance of avoiding escalation at any cost after India targeted terrorist camp in Pakistan. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo separately spoke with the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan and urged the ministers of both the countries to avoid “further military activity” following an air strike by India inside Pakistan. Pompeo in a phone call with the Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also called for avoiding military action. In a separate call with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Pompeo emphasised the close security partnership between the US and India and shared goal of maintaining peace and security in the region. Pompeo in a statement issued in Washington on Tuesday said, "I spoke to Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood 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." He further said that he has expressed to both ministers that US encourages India and Pakistan to exercise restraint, and avoid escalation at any cost. “I also encouraged both Ministers to prioritize direct communication and avoid further military activity,” he said reported Reuters. Last week, US National Security Adviser John Bolton told his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval that America supports India's right to self-defence as both sides vowed to work together to ensure that Pakistan ceases to be a safe heaven for JeM and other terror groups.