Pak militants may launch attacks in India, says US

Indian officials have repeatedly expressed concerns that Pakistan was mobilising terror groups along the Line of Control (LoC) following the decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special status on August 5.

The US and other countries fear that Pakistan-based militant groups could carry out terror strikes in India following the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status if Islamabad doesn’t “keep a lid” on their activities, a top Pentagon official has said.

Pakistan terror groups may attack India, US and other countries fear. (Waseem Andrabi / Hindustan Times)

“I think many have concerns that Pakistan [should] keep a lid on militant groups that might conduct cross-border activities as a result of the Kashmir decisions, and I don’t sense China wants that kind of conflict or would support that,” assistant secretary of defence for Indo-Pacific security affairs, Randall Schriver, said at an event here.

Indian officials have repeatedly expressed concerns that Pakistan was mobilising terror groups along the Line of Control (LoC) following the decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special status on August 5.

Schriver made the remarks while replying to a question on China’s support for Pakistan on the issue of Kashmir. “I think it [China’s support to Pakistan on Kashmir] is mostly diplomatic and political support,” he said.

China was the only P5 member that backed Pakistan’s demand for the UN Security Council to take up the Kashmir issue. Pakistan and China have a long-standing relationship and they also have growing competition with India, while New Delhi seeks a stable relationship with Beijing, Schriver said.

Referring to external affairs minister S Jaishankar’s visit to the US, Schriver said: “They want a stable relationship with China, but there’s no doubt that there is growing concern and competition there as well. So I think on a range of issues [including] Kashmir, China has leaned toward Pakistan,” he said.