Washington

A day after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar raised questions over the "merits" of the US-Pakistan relationship, the US State Department said on Monday it does not view ties with Islamabad and New Delhi in relation to one another.

When asked a question about Jaishankar's comments, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said, "Well, we don't view our relationship with Pakistan, and on the other hand we don't view our relationship with India as in relation to one another."

"These are both partners of ours with different points of emphasis in each, and we look to both as partners because we do have in many cases shared values. We do have in many cases shared interests," Price said in response to a question on the Indian foreign minister's criticism of USD 450 million sustenance package for Pakistan's F-16 fleet.

He said the relationship that the US shares with both India and Pakistan stands on its own. "We also want to do everything we can to see to it that these neighbours have relations with one another that are as constructive as can be possible. And so that's another point of emphasis," he added.

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Earlier, the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said that Washington's ties with Islamabad had not served the "American interest". He made these remarks during an event organized by the Indian American community in Washington on Sunday.