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US committed itself to treat Pathankot attack at par with 26/11 terror strike in terms of ensuring punishment to perpetrators based in Pakistan.
United States President Barack Obama, who held over hour-long talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House on Tuesday, promised to cooperate with India against terrorist threats from groups such as Pakistan-based Jaish-e Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba as well as the ‘D’ Company, a reference to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.
'In this context, they (the two leaders) directed their officials to identify specific new areas of collaboration at the next meeting of US-India Counterterrorism Joint Working Group,' said a joint statement (external link) issued after the talks.
Significantly, the American side also committed itself to treating Pathankot attack at par with 26/11 terror strike in terms of ensuring punishment to perpetrators based in Pakistan.
‘They (Obama and Modi) called for Pakistan to bring the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai and 2016 Pathankot terrorist attacks to justice,’ the joint statement said.
During the meeting, Modi and Obama acknowledged the continued threat posed to human civilisation by terrorism and condemned the recent terrorist incidents from Paris to Pathankot, from Brussels to Kabul, the statement said.
‘They resolved to redouble their efforts, bilaterally and with other like-minded countries, to bring to justice the perpetrators of terrorism anywhere in the world and the infrastructure that supports them,’ the statement said.
During the meeting, Obama and Modi committed to strengthen cooperation against terrorist threats from extremist groups, such as ‘al-Qaeda, Daesh/ISIL (Islamic State), Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, D Company and their affiliates, including through deepened collaboration on UN (United Nations) terrorist designations’.
The US and India will work together to combat the threat of terrorists accessing and using chemical, biological, nuclear and radiological materials, it said.
During the meeting, Modi offered to host a Summit on Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Terrorism in 2018, which was welcomed by Obama.
‘Recognising an important milestone in the US-India counter-terrorism partnership, the leaders applauded the finalisation of an arrangement to facilitate the sharing of terrorist screening information,’ it said.
Modi and Obama also affirmed their support for a UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism that advances and strengthens the framework for global cooperation and reinforces that no cause or grievance justifies terrorism, the statement said.