New Delhi: With a top US general calling Pakistan a “phenomenal partner” in the counterterrorism world, the Congress Wednesday asked what Prime Minister Narendra Modi has to say about this and whether it is not a “diplomatic setback”.
The opposition party also referred to remarks by a Trump administration spokesperson highlighting President Donald Trump’s diplomatic and negotiating skills as having the power to end ‘generational differences’, wondering whether something is cooking in Washington DC and asking Prime Minister Modi to issue a clarification on it.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh also cited a media report which claimed that Pakistan’s chief of army staff General Syed Asim Munir is scheduled to visit Washington DC, for the US Army Day celebrations, and said this is “another huge diplomatic setback for India”.
US Army General Michael Kurilla, Commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), has said the United States has to have a relationship with Pakistan and with India, and noted that it cannot be a “binary switch” where Washington cannot have ties with Islamabad if it has relations with New Delhi.
Kurilla made the comments during a testimony before the US House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.
Pakistan is “in an active counterterrorism fight right now and they have been a phenomenal partner in the counterterrorism world”, the general said.
Sharing a media report on Kurilla’s remarks, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, “The US Central Command Chief has just described Pakistan as a ‘phenomenal partner in counter-terrorism’.” “What do our PM and his cheerleaders have to say about this? Is this not a diplomatic setback?” Ramesh said on X.
In another post, Ramesh shared a media report which claimed that Pakistan’s chief of army staff General Syed Asim Munir is scheduled to visit Washington DC, for the US Army Day celebrations on June 14.
“This is the man who spoke in such incendiary and provocative language just before the Pahalgam terror attacks. What is the US really up to? This is another huge diplomatic setback for India,” Ramesh said.
In another post, the Congress leader shared a clip of State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce’s press briefing.
“In response to a question at the US Department of State’s Press Briefing on 10th June, the Trump Administration’s spokesperson referred to President Trump’s diplomatic and negotiating skills as having the power to end ‘generational differences’ and to bring people to the table that ‘nobody thought was possible.’ Is something cooking in DC? Will @narendramodi clarify?” Ramesh said.
In response to a question on President Donald Trump offering to mediate on the issue of Kashmir, Bruce had said Tuesday, “Well, obviously I can’t speak to what’s on the mind or the plans of the President. What I do know is that I think we all recognise that President Trump in each step that he takes, it’s made to solve generational differences between countries, generational war.” Bruce added that it should not “surprise” anyone that he would want to “manage” something like that.
“So, while I can’t speak to his plans, the world knows his nature, and I can’t speak to any details of what he might have in that regard But it is an exciting time that if we can get to a point in that particular conflict..,” Bruce said adding that it is a “very interesting time”.
In his remarks, Kurilla had said, “We have to have a relationship with Pakistan and with India. I do not believe it is a binary switch that we can’t have one with Pakistan if we have a relationship with India.” “We should look at the merits of the relationship for the positives that it has,” he said.
“ISIS Khorasan (ISIS K) is perhaps one of the most active in trying to do external plots globally to include against the homeland. The Taliban is going after ISIS K – they hate each other, and have pushed a lot of them into the tribal areas on the Afghan-Pakistan border,” he said at the full Committee Hearing on ‘US Military Posture and National Security Challenges AFRICOM + CENTCOM.’
“Through a phenomenal partnership with Pakistan, they have gone after ISIS Khorasan, killing dozens of them. Through a relationship we have with them providing intelligence, they have captured at least five ISIS Khorasan high value individuals,” the top US general said.
Kurilla’s comments came days after an all-party Indian parliamentary delegation visited the US to convey India’s strong resolve to combat terrorism emanating from Pakistan in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives.
PTI
