PAKISTAN: US Secretary of State Mr Colin Powell ended a South Asian peace mission yesterday urging Pakistan and India to work towards dialogue to resolve their standoff over Kashmir, a potential nuclear flashpoint.
Mr Powell told a news conference after concluding talks with the leaders of both countries in their respective capitals that tensions had eased considerably since a very real threat of war between the nuclear-armed rivals just a few weeks ago.
"Both sides have reiterated their desire for a peaceful political solution to the problems that exist. We must continue down that path," he said.
Mr Powell said he welcomed commitments from Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf to permanently halt infiltration by militants across the line of control in disputed Kashmir, and India's pledge to hold free and fair elections in its part of the state.
"We also look to India to take further de-escalatory actions as Pakistan makes good on its pledges," he said. "It's time to make regional stability permanent. Kashmir is on the international agenda." Mr Powell said India could boost confidence in Kashmir by freeing political prisoners and allowing independent observers to monitor the polls, while Pakistan could help by proving its commitment to ending infiltration was permanent.
He said it was up to India and Pakistan to decide when dialogue could begin and this was not something that could be imposed by the US.
Mr Powell said it was clear infiltration of pro-Pakistan militants into Indian Kashmir had slowed, a fact that even India had acknowledged. But he went on: "I am hopeful that if we keep moving in the direction we have been moving in the last couple of months . . . the possibility of a dialogue is something that can be achieved." Before what was his third South Asia peace mission since October, Mr Powell declared his intention to seek talks - or at least talks about talks - on Kashmir.
However, he received a rebuff on Saturday from his Indian counterpart Mr Yashwant Sinha, who suggested India was not open to persuasion on talks. - (Reuters)