US relations with Pakistan, India 'stand on their own': State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- The State Department Tuesday said that even though the United States wants to see regional stability in South Asia, its relationships with Pakistan and India "stand on their own".

State Department Spokesperson Ned Price expressed these views during a press briefing on Monday while talking about the strained ties between Pakistan and India and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's invitation to Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to hold talks about the burning issues including Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu Kashmir (IIOJK).

On January 17, PM Shehbaz, in an effort to resolve the burning issues with New Delhi, including Kashmir, asked Modi to hold serious and sincere talks.

"We've long called for regional stability in South Asia. That's certainly what we want to see. We want to see it advanced. When it comes to our partnership - our partnerships with India and Pakistan, these are relationships that stand on their own. We do not see these relationships as zero-sum," said Price.

The spokesperson said that the pace, scope, the character of any dialogue between India and Pakistan is a matter for those two countries.

When asked if Washington is sending someone to Pakistan for a long-term solution to the collapse of the power grids, Price said the US has "assisted Pakistani partners across...