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India and the US have underlined the need for Pakistan to take "meaningful, irreversible and verifiable" action against terrorists and terror groups operating from its soil as Washington backed the people and Government of India in the fight against terrorism.
The two countries exchanged views on threats posed by international terrorist organisations during the US-India Counter-terrorism Joint Working Group and Designations Dialogue that concluded here Friday, weeks after the Pulwama terror attack carried out by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad terror group that killed 40 CRPF personnel, prompting the international community to ask Islamabad to rein-in all terror groups on its soil.
While the US delegation was led by State Department Coordinator for Counter-terrorism Ambassador Nathan Sales, the Indian side was headed by Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, Mahaveer Singhvi.
"Both sides underlined the urgent need for Pakistan to take meaningful, irreversible, and verifiable action against terrorists and terrorist groups," according to a joint statement.
It said the two sides discussed counter-terrorism cooperation between them and resolved to continue close coordination on this important element of the bilateral relationship.
Sales, according to the joint statement, emphasised the US support for the people and government of India in the fight against terrorism.
There was also discussion of strengthening cooperation on information sharing and other steps to disrupt the ability of terrorists to travel, consistent with the important provisions and obligations outlined in the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2396.
Indian and American officials also highlighted their efforts on some of the world's most pressing counter-terrorism challenges, including countering the financing and operations of terrorist organisations, terrorist use of the internet, and prosecuting, rehabilitating, and reintegrating returning foreign terrorist fighters, said the statement.
The US, it said, welcomed India's participation in international efforts to counter terrorism finance.
The two sides also shared information about their priorities and procedures for pursuing sanctions designations against terrorist groups and individuals, the joint statement said, in an apparent reference to the latest US efforts at the UN Security Council to designate Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.
After China for the fourth time blocked a proposal to designate Azhar a global terrorist by the 1267 Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council, the US, backed by the UK and France, moved a resolution directly to the Security Council, to blacklist the JeM chief.
