New Delhi: The US and the other countries are concerned that Pakistan-based militant groups could carry out terror strikes in India following the revocation of the special status to Jammu and Kashmir if Islamabad doesn’t “keep a lid" on such activities, a top Pentagon official has said.

“I think many have concerns that Pakistan keep a lid on militant groups that might conduct cross-border activities as a result of the Kashmir decisions, and I don’t sense China wants that kind of conflict or would support that," assistant secretary of defence for Indo-Pacific security affairs, Randall Schriver, said at an event in Washington late on Wednesday, news reports said.

Shriver was responding to a question on China's support to Pakistan on the issue of Kashmir after India on 5 August scrapped article 370 of its Constitution that granted special privileges to the state.

Indian officials have repeatedly expressed concerns that Pakistan was mobilising terrorists along the Line of Control (LoC) following the decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.

Referring to the 14 February attack in Pulwama, which led to death of 40 Indian security personnel after a Kashmiri youth triggered a car bomb, and for which New Delhi blamed Islamabad, Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has maintained that the youth was radicalised by the situation in Kashmir. Khan has also warned that once India lifts restrictions on communications and movement of people in Kashmir there could be protests and attacks in the region which would be blamed on Pakistan. This in turn would stoke tensions and result in an outbreak of hostilities, the impact of which will not remain confined to South Asia, Khan has said.

According to Schriver, “They (Chinese) have supported Pakistan in international fora. There is some discussion about whether or not Kashmir would be taken up in the UN, China would support that. But in terms of something beyond that or more active, I don't see it," the top Pentagon official said. “ I think it (China's support to Pakistan on Kashmir) is mostly diplomatic and political support."

China was the only permanent member of the UN Security Council that backed Pakistan’s demand for the discussion on the Kashmir issue at the UN body.

According to Schriver, Pakistan and China have a long-standing relationship and they also have growing competition with India, while New Delhi is looking for a stable relationship with Beijing.

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