The United States has said that it supports Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's statement that terrorists in Pakistan who carry out violence in Kashmir are enemies of both Kashmiris and Pakistanis.
The United States also said that it will continue to put pressure on Pakistan to take action against terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahideen that have been using its soil to harbour terrorism.
In a statement, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Alice G Wells, said, "We continue to press Pakistan to take action against terrorist groups, including LeT, JeM, and Hizbul-Mujahideen. We welcomed PM Imran Khan's recent statement that Pakistani terrorists who carry out violence in Kashmir are enemies of both Kashmiris and Pakistan."
Imran Khan had recently acknowledged that terrorists who have been carrying out acts of violence in Kashmir are not just the enemies of India, but also Pakistan and Kashmiris.
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Wells had earlier observed that the process of dialogue between India and Pakistan have faced obstacles because of Pakistan's continued support to terrorism.
The US official, while talking about the tension between India and Pakistan, referred to the 1972 Simla Agreement and said that Pakistan's continued support to terrorist groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed that engage in cross-border terrorism has been a major hindrance for dialogue to progress.
"Pakistan's harbouring of terrorist groups like Lashkar-e- Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammed, which seek to foment violence across the Line of Control, is destabilising, and Pakistani authorities remain accountable for their actions," the US official has said in a warning to Pakistan.
Wells also raised concerns over human rights violations and shrinking media freedom in Pakistan.