'Looks very bad for India': Shashi Tharoor reflects on US-Pakistan bonhomie

Shashi Tharoor

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday expressed concern over Washington’s growing closeness with Islamabad, calling it a reminder of America’s longstanding ties with Pakistan.

In an interview to ANI, Tharoor said India must not forget the historical depth of US-Pakistan relations.

“We have been shaken by this. We have allowed ourselves to forget that Pakistan is an old ally of the US... US was traditionally closer militarily and strategically to Pakistan earlier and then a number of degrees of cooperation got intensified,” Tharoor said.

He highlighted that Pakistan’s intelligence infrastructure was developed with American assistance.

“ISI was set up with American guidance and cooperation... We have had 30 years of warmth between India and America but old history should not be forgotten. There are still many Pakistani military officers who were trained in America... A number of Pakistan Intelligence operatives have worked and been trained by the Americans. These relationships have been long and deep,” he said.

Drawing a contrast between India’s security concerns and Washington’s, Tharoor said, “The terrorists Pakistan breeds to attack us (India) are not the ones attacking America. The ones who are attacking America — ISIS, Daesh — are groups which are also attacking the Pakistani establishment and Pakistani army.”

He added that ties between Washington and Islamabad continue irrespective of India’s concerns. “There is a relationship between America and Pakistan, independent of India. However, given the recent context for us, it looks very bad in India,” he said.

Ties between US and Pakistan have witnessed a visible improvement in recent months, marked by high-level diplomatic engagements, security dialogues and growing cooperation on counterterrorism and regional stability.