WEB DESK
The United States on Wednesday said in a statement that the Indian government did not consult it before going ahead with the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
United States Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells denied on Wednesday press reports claiming that India had informed the United States before revoking the special status granted to occupied Kashmir.
In a tweet, the SCA account attributed to Wells mentioned that the Indian government neither consulted nor informed the US government before it revoked the status.
“Contrary to press reporting, the Indian government did not consult or inform the US Government before moving to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status. – AGW,” said the tweet.
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@State_SCA
Contrary to press reporting, the Indian government did not consult or inform the US Government before moving to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status. – AGW
Alice Wells, along with a high-level US delegation arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday, to hold delegation-level talks with the Pakistani leadership.
Wells’ visit comes a day after the Indian government had rushed through a presidential decree to abolish Article 370 of the Constitution that grants special status to Indian occupied Kashmir.
US State Dept says ‘closely following’ Kashmir events, calls for maintaining peace
The US Department of State in its statement had said it was “closely following the events in the state of Jammu and Kashmir”.
Reacting to the events unfolding in occupied Kashmir, the US State Department said, “We take note of India’s announcement revising the constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir and India’s plan to split the state into two union territories.
“We note that the Indian government has described these actions as strictly an internal matter. We are concerned about reports of detentions and urge respect for individual rights and discussion with those in affected communities,” the statement added.
Multiple media reports from the US and India said that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had informed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about the decision on Jammu and Kashmir when they met in Bangkok last week.