'I think it has been an extremely sensitive hotspot for the world and for the region, where we've almost experienced thermonuclear war on several occasions,' said the former lawmaker who was the president of the Centre for National Policy (CNP), a Washington, DC-based national security think tank at the time of his nomination.

'So, again, just as the Pakistan-India negotiations and relationship is an important one to the president (Obama), the secretary (of State Hillary Clinton), this is also a delicate and important one.'