Mr. Kirby was responding to a question on growing clarion calls from both inside and outside Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province on its independence and violation of human rights by the Pakistani security forces there.

The U.S respects the unity and territorial integrity of Pakistan and does not support independence for Balochistan, the State Department said on Monday. Spokesperson John Kirby was responding to a question on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement last month on the human rights situation in the troubled region of Pakistan.

Mr. Kirby, who was been traveling most of last month, took questions on the issue for the first time. “Where does the U.S. stand on Balochistan? Because the Indian Prime Minister has raised this subject,” he was asked.

“The government – U.S. Government respects the unity and territorial integrity of Pakistan and we do not support independence for Balochistan. Mr. Kirby did not elaborate further, and repeated the assertion in response to follow-up questions. Mr. Kirby did not respond in particular to Mr. Modi’s statement.