US pushes Pakistan to punish perpetrators of Kashmir bombing

The United States has pressed Pakistan to punish those behind a deadly bombing in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir that claimed the lives of 44 Indian paramilitary troops last week.

During a briefing in Washington on Tuesday, US Deputy State Department spokesman Robert Palladino demanded that Islamabad cooperate with New Delhi in investigating the bombing. 

“We urge Pakistan to fully cooperate with the investigation into the attack and to punish anyone responsible.” 

Palladino said Washington has been in contact with New Delhi since February 14, when the bombing was carried out.

“We have been in close communication with the government of India to express not only our condolences but our strong support for India as it confronts this terrorism.”

“We call on all countries to uphold their responsibilities pursuant to the United Nations Security Council resolutions to deny safe haven and support for terrorists,” Palladino added. 

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US National Security Adviser John Bolton vows to work with India "to ensure that Pakistan cease to be a safe haven" for terrorists.

The bomb attack was claimed by the Pakistan-based Jaish-e Mohammed (JeM) militant group.

Meanwhile, France and Britain along with the US have been considering a new push at the UN Security Council to place Masood Azhar, the JeM leader, on the UN terror list. The group itself was added to the terror list in 2001.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, in a letter sent on Monday, appealed to the UN to step in to defuse tensions. Although the attack was claimed by JeM, Qureshi said "attributing it to Pakistan even before investigations is absurd."

"It is imperative to take steps for de-escalation. The United Nations must step in to defuse tensions."

India has warned Pakistan of a "jaw-breaking response" to the bombing, the deadliest attack in the region in decades.

New Delhi has called on the government in Islamabad to take "credible and visible action" against the perpetrators of the attack, rejecting Prime Minister Imran Khan's offer to investigate any evidence offered by New Delhi.

PressTV-Khan urges dialog, warns India against military action

Khan says Islamabad had nothing to do with the February 14 bombing in Kashmir.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed a strong response to the attack.

Also, Lieutenant General Kanwal Jeet Singh Dhillon, the top Indian military commander in Kashmir, has said Pakistan’s main spy service, the Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI), was involved in the attack. He said two of the militants were Pakistanis, including the group's "chief operations commander" in Kashmir.

"JeM is the son of Pak Army. It was being controlled by Pakistan Army and ISI. So, Pakistan Army is definitely involved in the incident and there is no doubt in that. The complete (Pulwama) attack was masterminded by Pakistan, ISI and JeM," Dhillon claimed on February 19.

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