US State Department condemns Pahalgam attack, avoids taking sides

KARACHI: In a press briefing on Thursday, State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said that the US is not taking a position on the status of Jammu or Kashmir for the moment.

Bruce started her press talk with the Pahalgam attack, saying that “As President Trump and Secretary Rubio have made clear, the US stands with India “ and “strongly condemns all acts of terrorism”. She added that the US also calls for the “perpetrators of this heinous act to be brought to justice”.

Responding to a question on India blaming Pakistan for the attack and whether the US sees Pakistan as behind the attack and is trying to play a role in cooling tensions, Bruce said that it was a “horrible situation” but that this was going to be the “extent of the comments on this” for now. 

She added that “it is a rapidly changing situation, and we are monitoring it closely, as you might imagine. And we of course, are not now taking a position on the status of Kashmir or of Jammu either. So that’s really going to be the extent of what I can say today”.