India, Pakistan should stop issuing statements against each other: USA

WASHINGTON: Deputy Spokesperson of the United States Department of State, Mark Toner, said on Wednesday that India and Pakistan should both stop issuing statements against each other. 

Addressing a press briefing, Toner said that the United States wanted peaceful relations between India and Pakistan. 

"India and Pakistan themselves will be the beneficiaries of peace," he said. 

Toner said that the United States wanted practical steps being taken by both countries to reduce tensions and hostilities against each other. He also urged both countries to return to dialogue after cessation of tensions between each other. 

"We want ties between India and Pakistan to improve and return to normal," he said. 

Mark Toner said that Pakistan had made progress on conducting action against certain terrorists. Once again, he urged Pakistan to act against those terrorists groups who conducted attacks on other countries. 

"We have stressed on Pakistan to conduct action against those terrorist groups who have established sanctuaries inside the country," he said. 

Tensions have been on the rise between both nuclear-armed nations after the Uri attack, in which 17 Indian soldiers were killed. Without proper investigation, India placed blame on Pakistan for being behind the attack. Pakistan vehemently denied the allegations and raised the issue of Indian atrocities in occupied Kashmir at the United Nations General Assembly.