Indo-Pak conflict: Pakistan Foreign Office says Trump's claims 'credible'

Islamabad, Nov 21 (PTI) Pakistan on Friday said it believed US President Donald Trump's claim that India assured him that it would not wage a war against Pakistan.

"We take the words of the US President, which are credible," Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said at the weekly media briefing when asked about Trump's remarks.

Trump on Wednesday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called him to say "we're not going to go to war." India has consistently denied any third-party intervention.

After showing trust in Trump, the spokesperson hastened to cast doubts over the assurance by India.

"We obviously take such assurance with a pinch of salt as it is not backed up by any cooling down of belligerent statements emanating from India,” he said. "Therefore, we have no option but to remain vigilant." On the US congressional report, he said that it is a research report, the drafting of which would have involved reference to open-source reference material.

"So, I would not comment on any specifics because then it would lead to my commentary on the references that report has used. Whatever references the authors of the report have used, they are entitled to it,” he said.

The spokesperson also said Pakistan's border with Afghanistan remained closed after it shut the border crossings and suspended all trade with Afghanistan due to the support being extended to terrorist elements allegedly by the Afghan Taliban regime.

“The onus of delay in the reopening of the border crossings rests with the Afghan Taliban regime,” he said, adding that the Taliban should take action against terrorists.

Talking about the visit of the Afghan trade minister to India, he said that these are developments between the two sovereign countries and “our relations with Afghanistan are based on its own merit and consideration and not on third-party involvement”. PTI SH ZH ZH