"We don't accept that sort of violence against innocent people": US lawmaker condemns Pahalgam attack

He referred to the movie, Kashmir Files on how it tells the history of Kashmir. "If you look at the history of Kashmir and what's happened historically, seeing the movie Kashmir Files or understand the history of that region", while speaking to ANI about Pahalgam attack, Republican lawmaker McCormick said, "There's still threatening and posturing by Pakistan. This is just more of the same. People would want to steal that area away from India to destabilise that region to make people scared to live there."

He said that he is concerned about escalations between India and Pakistan in this regard.

"So what I'm concerned about is escalations between two major powers, mean you two nuclear powers involved...You have people that are trapped in between. The president's already taken a hard stance against this sort of violence for this, it's terrorism. We can't call it anything else."

He said that the government of Pakistan should be condemning the violence. "We should be looking to them to make a hard statement, that that (attack) is wrong. We don't ever accept that sort of violence against innocent people."

Speaking about the importance of India as America's ally, McCormick said that India is an ally and "somebody who's economically tied to us (US), somebody who is now militarily tied to us, somebody who looks over a region and is in the proximity of China and Taiwan and a region that's strategically important to us."

Speaking about the fight against terrorism, McCormick remarked, "I think when it comes to fundamental terrorism, wherever it's in the world, we should be helping people avoid it. Our common enemy are those people who would do harm to innocent people."

Remarking on India-US cooperation to combat terrorism, McCormick told ANI, "I think it's extra important to make sure that we are sharing intelligence. It doesn't compromise either nation, actually enhances the security of India as well as the United States simultaneously."

As many as 26 people were killed and several others were injured after terrorists attacked tourists at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam on April 22. Following the attack, India has taken strong countermeasures against Pakistan for its support of cross-border terrorism.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the 121st episode of Mann Ki Baat, strongly condemned the attack. He said he felt a "deep agony" and assured the families of the victims that the attackers would face the "harshest response." (ANI)