New Delhi: The United States on Wednesday said in a statement that the Indian government did not consult it before going ahead with the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
Multiple media reports from the US and India said that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had informed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about the decision on Jammu and Kashmir when they met in Bangkok last week.
“Contrary to press reporting, the Indian government did not consult or inform the US Government before moving to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status,” said Alice Wells, Acting Assistant Secretary of the US government’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA).
Contrary to press reporting, the Indian government did not consult or inform the US Government before moving to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status. - AGW— State_SCA (@State_SCA) 7 August 2019
On Tuesday, Parliament approved resolutions to revoke Article 370 of the Constitution that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir and allowed for the bifurcation of the state into two Union Territories. India has maintained that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part and the issue is strictly internal to the country.
A US official on Wednesday also said there is an "urgent need" for dialogue among all actors to reduce tensions and to avoid a potential military escalation in South Asia, hours after Pakistan expelled the Indian envoy and downgraded its diplomatic ties.
"The United States would welcome improved relations between India and Pakistan, and we will continue to support efforts that reduce tensions and create an environment conducive for a direct dialogue between India and Pakistan," said a senior Trump Administration official on condition of anonymity.
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