The United States has said it supports both India and Pakistan in their efforts to deal with terrorism, whether in Kashmir or elsewhere.
"We certainly support both India and Pakistan in their respective efforts to deal with terrorism, whether it's in Kashmir or whether it's elsewhere," acting State Department spokesman Tom Casey said on Tuesday.
Casey who condemned the Mumbai suburban trains' serial blasts, however, added: "In terms of the specifics of law enforcement, in terms of how people handle arrested terrorists or otherwise, these are obviously issues that every nation has to grapple with on their own."
On the issue of the expansion in Pakistan's nuclear programme as reported in the media, he said the State Department was aware of it and had been following it.
"This is something that is an issue we've been aware of and we've been following for some time. Obviously, as you know, we have an ongoing discussion with the Pakistani government about non-proliferation issues and certainly about nuclear issues.
"The United States obviously discourages any country from proliferation of nuclear weapons or expansion of nuclear capabilities. And, certainly this is something that'll be part of our ongoing dialogue with Pakistan."
Asked if he considered this development a nuclear arms race between India and Pakistan, the spokesman said, "I certainly don't. I think that there are issues that the two countries have to deal with, as friends and neighbours, and that's how we'd like to see them deal with it."
Casey, who emphasised the good relations the US has with both India and Pakistan, said America supports efforts by both nations to increase communications in efforts to resolve the Kashmir issue.
"We certainly support both our friends in their efforts to increase communications with one another, increase contacts with one another, and their work to resolve this issue," he said.
