India's response to Pakistan's desire for better ties discouraging: Sharif

Terming the Kashmir issue as the bone of contention between India and Pakistan, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday said New Delhi’s response to Islamabad’s desire for better bilateral ties has been discouraging.

“New Delhi’s response to the desire of bilateral ties is discouraging,” Geo TV quoted Sharif as saying during his address to the Pakistani diaspora soon after arriving in the United States on a four-day official visit.

Sharif said the Kashmir issue is the bone of contention between the two neighbours and it will have to be resolved for peace and stability in the region.

Earlier in the day, Sharif was received at the Andrews Airforce Base by the Assistant Secretary of State Peter Selfridge and accorded a Guard of Honour by the United States Armed Forces.

During the visit, the Pakistan prime minister will hold discussions on wide-ranging issues of bilateral interest with US President Barack Obama on October 22, Vice President Joe Biden, and various Cabinet members.

Sharif will also interact with members of the US Senate and the House of Representative as well as senior US government officials.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said the US president hoped to strengthen ties between security forces of both countries to counter extremist forces in that region.

“What the president hopes to do is to strengthen the relationship between the two countries based on our shared interest in countering extremist forces in that region of the world.

“I am confident that the president will come to his meeting with Prime Minister Sharif with some ideas about what more the Pakistanis could do to strengthen the relationship between our two countries and to advance the security interests of our two countries,” he said.