US can’t wish away Pakistan’s concern about India: Mike Mullen

The United States will not wish away Pakistan’s security concerns vis-a-vis India, Chairman US Joint Chiefs Admiral Mike Mullen has said.

“They’re still very concerned about India. That’s not going to go away overnight, and we’re not going to wish that away,” he said at the National Press Club in Washington. He praised Pakistan’s commitment to fighting the militants but conceded that to eradicate militancy from the region Afghanistan will have to set its house right. He urged Afghan President Hamid Karzai to take steps for validating his status and eliminating corruption, adding that US was anxious about Afghan Government’s legal status. He told that 30,000 Pakistani soldiers were conducting Wazirsitan Operation which was very difficult. “General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani fully understands this crucial condition,” he added.