Islamabad, Nov 13: India and Pakistan may see each other on the dialogue table as United States of America has been pushing both the countries for talks, reported The Express Tribune on Monday.
The Daily has said that the United States is quietly pushing Pakistan and India to re-engage as the Trump administration seeks to defuse tensions between the nuclear-tipped neighbours in order to have a more focused approach on the Afghan endgame.
Government officials and diplomatic sources said US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson took up the issue with the leadership of both Pakistan and India during his recent visit to the two countries.
Behind the scenes, efforts appear to have started paying dividends since Tillerson’s visit, as there has been a noticeable reduction in violence along the Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed Kashmir region.
Also last week, cross-LoC trade resumed after remaining suspended for four months.
The Line of Control has been the scene of bloody clashes between the armies of Pakistan and India for the last couple of years. The current year has been the worst in terms of ceasefire violations as well as civilian casualties.
Officials with the knowledge of the backdoor manoeuvres confirmed to The Express Tribune that the Trump administration wanted to see a lowering of tensions between the two neighbours.
A senior official, who requested not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said Tillerson had informed Pakistan that the Trump administration was willing to encourage a rapprochement between Islamabad and New Delhi.
The surprise decision by Pakistan to allow a meeting between convicted Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav and his wife was also being linked to the quiet efforts by the US.
US pushing India and Pakistan for dialogue
