ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday took strong exception to the unwarranted references to Pakistan in the joint statement issued in Washington after the conclusion of US-India 2+2 Dialogue and rejected the assertions.

“The anti-Pakistan assertions made by Indian ministers of defence and external affairs during the joint press availability are equally reprehensible and we also take exception to the selective and one-sided nature of the joint statement,” said the Foreign Office spokesperson in a statement issued here.

The grave humanitarian and human rights situation in India-held Jammu and Kashmir caused by India’s unilateral and illegal measures of Aug 5, 2019 and its belligerent rhetoric and actions pose a serious threat to peace and security in South Asia, the statement said, adding that failing to take cognisance of this serious situation was tantamount to abdication of international responsibility.

The international community recognises Pakistan’s efforts, sacrifices and successes in the fight against terrorism, it said, adding Pakistan believed India’s state-terrorism in the occupied Valley and its threats to Pakistan imperil regional peace and security.

“Our concerns and rejection of the unwarranted reference to Pakistan in the US-India joint statement have been conveyed to the US side through diplomatic channels,” the statement said.

Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2019