US will support Indo-Pak friendship, says Shalabh Kumar

New York: Donald Trump will support “greater friendship” between India and Pakistan, a prominent Indian-American industrialist said Friday as he met the President-elect and discussed issues ranging from growing India-US trade to relations with China and Pakistan.

Shalabh Kumar, founder and president of the Republican Hindu Coalition (RHC), met Mr Trump, Vice President-elect Mike Pence, Mr Trump’s daughter Ivanka and sons Don and Eric and other senior officials from the incoming Mr Trump administration at Trump Tower.

“It was a great meeting,” Mr Kumar said. He said they discussed mechanisms for increasing trade between US and India. “We also talked about policies with respect to China and with respect to Pakistan and how India views them,” Mr Kumar said.

Mr Kumar added that Mr Trump is “very well aware” that terrorism is a big concern for India and “he is also confident in a way that he could persuade Pakistan to do the right things and actually create a friendship between India and Pakistan.”

“His attitude is always that you can do it, you put your mind to it.”