Pakistan rejects 'unwarranted reference' in Indo-US statement

Pakistan on Wednesday categorically rejected what it called an "unwarranted reference" in the statement issued after the US-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue where they asked Islamabad to take "irreversible actions" against terror outfits, media reports said.

"The gratuitous reference in the statement alluding to some non-existent and dismantled entities betrays misplaced counter-terrorism focus of both countries," said the Foreign Office in a statement, Express Tribune reported.

It said it was unfortunate that a bilateral cooperation mechanism was being used to target a third country for political expediency and to mislead public opinion away from real and emerging terrorism threats.

"The assertions made against Pakistan in the statement are malicious and lack any credibility," it added.

It noted that Pakistan had remained a major, proactive, reliable and willing partner of the international community in the global fight against terrorism over the last two decades.

"Pakistan's successes and sacrifices in countering terrorism are unparalleled and widely acknowledged by the international community, including the United States. No country in the region has sacrificed more for peace than Pakistan.

"Our concerns and rejection of the unwarranted reference to Pakistan in the US-India Statement have been conveyed to the US side through diplomatic channels," the Pakistan Foreign Office said.