The United States shares good relationships with India and Pakistan and does not want to see a "war of words" but a constructive dialogue between the two countries.
"The fact that we have partnerships with both countries makes us - of course leaves us not wanting to see a war of words between India and Pakistan. We would like to see constructive dialogue between India and Pakistan. We think that is for the betterment of the Pakistani people, for the Indian people. There is much work that we can do together bilaterally," US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price responded to a question over Pakistan Foreign Minister Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari derogatory remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the regular briefing.
He also said that US have a global strategic partnership with India and relations between New Delhi and Islamabad in America's mind is not zero-sum and the country does not view them in relation to one another.
"We have a global strategic partnership with India. I have just spoken to the depth of our partnership with Pakistan. These relationships stand on their own; it is not zero-sum. We see the importance - the indispensability really - of maintaining valuable partnerships with both our Indian and our Pakistani friends. Each of these relationships is - we don't view them in relation to the other. Each of these relationships also happens to be multifaceted," Price said.
He further stated, "So even as we deepen our global strategic partnership with India, we are also - we also have a relationship in which we can be candid and frank with one another. Where we have disagreements or concerns, we voice those just as we would with our Pakistani friends as well."
The statement came in the backdop of derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi by Pakistan's Bilawal Bhutto Zardari during a press conference at the United Nations in New York.
Reaction upon Zardari's remarks, the official spokesperson for the MEA, Arindam Bagchi, said, "These comments are a new low, even for Pakistan. Pakistan foreign minister's frustration would be better directed towards the masterminds of terrorist enterprises in his own country, who have made terrorism a part of their state policy. Pakistan needs to change its own mindset or remain a pariah."
Frustrated with Zardari's statement, BJP held nationwide protest. On Saturday, BJP workers also staged a protest and burned an effigy of Bilawal in the state capital Bhopal. Similarly, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha workers burned the effigy of Bhutto at Malviya Chowk in Jabalpur district. During this, they also raised slogans of Pakistan Murdabad. The BJP leaders and workers gathered and held demonstrations at various places across the state.
Leader of Opposition in Madhya Pradesh Assembly, Govind Singh also condemned the derogatory remark of Pakistan Foreign Minister Bhutto on PM Modi. Singh said, "We may have political opponents but no one can use foul language for our Prime Minister. I condemn the remarks made by the Pakistani minister."
The outrage and protests follow the Pakistani foreign minister's foul remarks made during a press conference at the United Nations in New York.
Describing Bilawal Bhutto's remark as "highly derogatory and full of cowardice", BJP on Friday said that the remarks were given to divert global attention from Pakistan's collapsing economy, lawlessness, and anarchy in Pakistan.
"The statement is also aimed at misleading the world and diverting global attention from Pakistan's collapsing economy, lawlessness and anarchy, simmering differences in the Pakistani army, its deteriorating global relations, and the fact that Pakistan has become a major sanctuary for terrorists," the party said.
( With inputs from ANI )
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