New Delhi: US National Security Advisor James Jones met with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday.
Jones caused a flutter in New Delhi when he was quoted by the Pakistan government on Thursday as saying the "US would help India and Pakistan resolve the Kashmir issue", seemingly contradicting his boss President Obama, who just this week ruled out US involvement in the same.
In Islamabad, Jones met Pakistan Army Chief General Ashfaq Kayani and is understood to have taken stock of the ongoing military operations against the Taliban in northwest Pakistan and discussed American troop surge in Afghanistan.
Jones assured Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Geelani that America would help in resolving the Kashmir issue with India.
Jones stated that the Pakistani government urged him to push India for a speedy resolution of the Kashmir issue saying, "We will do everything we can to help Pakistan and India confront the issues that they alone can resolve. To the extent that we can be helpful, we will be helpful with both our friends India and Pakistan. We have to make sure that we understand the severerity of the threats of extremism and of the possibility of another Mumbai-style attack. That cannot be allowed to happen."
It is not clear whether the Kashmir issue was taken up by the US with the Indian side, but New Delhi is believed to have conveyed to the US Pakistan's failure to act against the terror groups emanating from Pakistani soil.
Jones is expected to discuss Afghanistan, Pakistan, counter-terrorism operations and defence cooperation with India's NSA MK Narayanan and Indian Defence Minister AK Antony on Friday.
He will reportedly share his assessment about the ongoing offensive by the Pakistani military against the Taliban.
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