WASHINGTON, March 29: US State Department deputy spokesman Philip Reeker said on Friday the US had encouraged India and Pakistan to work together to resolve all issues through dialogue.

Reeker was also asked about the list of 20 alleged terrorists that India has handed over to Pakistan whom New Delhi wants to be handed over to it.

“We’ve encouraged both sides to work together on this. I think this was a subject when the secretary (of state) travelled in the region, where we said that we thought both sides could resolve all of the issues that they have through dialogue, and that includes this one. We made that view very clear again to both sides.”

The US, Mr Reeker added, felt “quite strongly that Pakistan’s government has taken a very forthright view toward terrorism. President Musharraf has spoken out quite strongly against terrorism. He’s called upon the, as he put it, ‘silent majority’ of the Pakistani people to stand up against the extremist minority who perpetrate these types of things, and he said that his country will not tolerate terrorism anywhere. So the specifics of that issue are something that India and Pakistan have to work out together, just as we and Pakistan will work out together the judicial process for the murderers of Daniel Pearl”.

Talking about Daniel Pearl issue, Mr Reeker said Pakistan had been very supportive of efforts to bring those indicted in the Pearl’s kidnapping and murder case to justice.

He pointed out that legal processes would have to be worked out for the extradition of the prime suspect, Saeed Shaikh, now in Pakistani custody and facing capital punishment.

“We’ve made clear that we would like to have him and try him under the charges that our own Justice Department has brought. Pakistan obviously has legal requirements, as well. So we’ll continue to see and work that as a process —— as a legal process.”