The United States administration has expressed its support for ‘direct dialogue’ between Pakistan and India on issues of concern.

“As we have long said, we support direct dialogue between India and Pakistan on issues of concern,” said US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller at the press briefing on Wednesday. “That has long been our position.”

He was responding to a query on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s dialogue offer to India on bilateral problems if the neighbour was willing to address serious matters.

Without naming India, PM Shehbaz reiterated his talks offer to the nuclear-armed South Asian neighbour. “Even with our neighbour, we are ready to talk to them provided that the neighbour is serious to talk serious matters on the table,” he said at the Pakistan Mineral Summit in Islamabad on August 1.

The premier was of the view that wars were no more an option and that such a situation only leads to more poverty, unemployment, and lack of resources.

The US State Department spokesperson also answered a query related to PM Shehbaz’s recent statement related to the schedule for general elections and alleged attempts in the country to disqualify former prime minister Imran Khan.

“This is one that I do get fairly often at this podium – I see you smiling because I usually get it from you – and I will say, as I have said, many times, maybe more than I’ve said anything else from the podium, which is that we do not take the – we do not take positions on behalf of the United States supporting one candidate or another in other countries. We support free and open and fair elections,” said Miller.

When asked about the Americans reaction on the religious violence in Gurugram near New Delhi, Miller called for refraining from violent actions.

“I would say of – with respect to the clashes that obviously we would, as always, urge calm and urge parties to refrain from violent actions,” he said.