ISLAMABAD: The United States on Saturday said that continuation of India-Pakistan peace talks is in the best interest of the regional stability, Radio Pakistan reported.
US Secretary of State John Kerry telephoned Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and lauded his role in carefully tackling the prevailing situation in the wake of the recent gunmen attack on Indian air base.
Nawaz apprised Kerry that Pakistan is swiftly carrying out investigations into Pathankot incident and will soon unearth the truth.
“World will see our effectiveness and sincerity in this regard,” he added.
Kerry hoped that “talks between Pakistan and India would continue despite efforts to thwart the process”.
Pakistan was eliminating terrorism from its soil and would not allow anyone to use its soil to conduct terror operations abroad, Nawaz told the US Secretary of State.
US Secretary Kerry extended full support to the prime minister in finding out the actual perpetrators behind Pathankot incident.
Earlier on Thursday, a US State Department spokesman had said it was up to the Pakistan government to determine how long it would take to investigate the attack on the Pathankot air base following information provided by India.
The statement came after India said it was awaiting Pakistan’s response on the information provided on the Pathankot incident, following which it will decide on the resumption of bilateral talks scheduled for later this month.
India's foreign ministry said Islamabad has been given actionable intelligence that those who planned the assault came from Pakistan.
"As far as we are concerned, the ball is now in Pakistan's court," spokesman Vikas Swarup told reporters when asked if the talks were on. "The immediate issue in front of us is Pakistan's response to the terrorist attack."
The US State Department spokesman said Pakistan has condemned the attack and has made clear its commitment to investigate it.
Seven Indian security men and four suspected gunmen were killed during an assault, on Indian air base near the Pakistan border, which threatened to undermine the two countries' fragile peace process.
