WASHINGTON: The US State Department stated on Tuesday that it expects India to address the alleged involvement of senior Indian officials in assassination attempts within the United States.

“We continue to expect accountability from the government of India based on the results of the Indian inquiry committee’s work, and we are regularly working with them and inquiring for additional updates,” said the department’s principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel during a news briefing in Washington.

Patel also emphasised that the United States continues to “raise our concerns directly with the Indian government at senior levels”. However, he declined to “parse into this further” from a public podium and deferred further inquiries to the Department of Justice.

A Washington Post report on Monday presented the clearest link yet between India’s government and a thwarted assassination attempt targeting a Sikh activist in the US last year. The report also outlined the involvement of Indian intelligence officials in other assassinations in Canada and Pakistan.

Responding to another question about defence cooperation between the United States and Pakistan, Patel stated that the two allies shared a common interest in addressing threats to regional security.

“We support Pakistan’s efforts to combat terrorism and ensure the safety and security of its citizens in a manner that promotes the rule of law and protection of human rights,” he added.

The US official underscored that Washington’s partnership with Islamabad on security matters involves a high-level counter-terrorism dialogue, robust funding for counter-terrorism capacity-building programmes, and support for a series of US-Pakistan military engagements.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2024