Barack Obama Tells Pakistan To Punish Those Pathankot Attack

Washington: Treating the Pathankot attack on par with 26/11, US President Barack Obama in a clear message asked Pakistan to punish the perpetrators and vowed to stand with India against threats emanating from Pakistan-based terror groups like JeM, LeT and D-company.

"They (President Obama and PM Modi) called for Pakistan to bring the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai and 2016 Pathankot terrorist attacks to justice," a joint statement said.

During the meeting, PM Modi and US President 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, President Obama and PM Modi committed to strengthen cooperation against threats from terrorist groups, such as "al Qaeda, Daesh/ISIS, Jaish-e Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Taiba, D-company and their affiliates, including through deepened collaboration on UN terrorist designations."

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The two leaders directed their officials to identify specific new areas of collaboration at the next meeting of US-India Counter-terrorism Joint Working Group, the statement said.

"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.

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PM Modi and President 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.

The two leaders had a "very extensive" and "thoughtful" conversation about the rise of extremism and the need for all countries to work together to address this challenge, a senior Obama administration official said.