Pakistan Criticizes US-India Statement

The Pakistani Foreign Ministry considered the joint US-India statement, released on Friday, to be "baseless, one-sided, and misleading." It pointed out that the reference to Islamabad in the statement "contradicts diplomatic norms." The ministry expressed surprise at the joint statement, emphasizing that it has "close cooperation in combating terrorism" with the United States. The Pakistani Foreign Ministry argued that India exploits allegations of extremism against Islamabad to divert attention from the situation in Kashmir and the treatment of minorities in India. Pakistan stated that it is "deeply concerned" about the planned transfer of advanced military technology to India, and that "such steps will prove not to support the achievement of peace in South Asia."