Pakistan's relationship with India is critical to Islamabad's future, the United States said on Thursday. The US laid emphasis on the normalisation of ties between the two countries, after a meeting between President Barack Obama and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the White House. In a joint statement after the talks, Obama and Sharif called for a "sustained and resilient" Indo-Pak dialogue process to resolve all outstanding issues, including the Kashmir conflict, reported the Press Trust of India.

The two leaders asserted that improvement in India-Pakistan bilateral relations would "greatly enhance" prospects for lasting peace, stability and prosperity in the region. The US also said that Pakistan must take action against all militant groups in the country without discrimination. Pakistan committed to this, in particular mentioning "United Nations-designated terrorist individuals and entities, including Lashkar-e-Taiba". The US president welcomed Sharif's promise to tackle the LeT, which was responsible for the 2008 bomb blasts in Mumbai, calling it a new and "very significant development".