Posted on 07/27/2002 4:39:29 PM PDT by AM2000
NEW DELHI: Talks between visiting US Secretary of State Colin Powell and External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha failed to yield any new ground on the Indo-Pak stalemate.
While India reiterated its well-known position on the ‘‘need for Pakistan to deliver on its pledges’’, the US side said it was used to its friends keeping their pledges. Sinha ruled out any further de-escalatory steps saying the ‘‘necessary conditions do not exist at present.’’
Powell spoke of the difficulties in monitoring the situation on the LoC. He also appreciated the movement towards free and fair elections in Jammu and Kashmir saying they should take place without violence.
After two hours of talks the external affairs spokesperson claimed the ‘‘concentration was on bilateral issues’’.
Steering clear of questions relating to whether the US had called for a dialogue or de-escalatory steps, the spokesperson said there was recognition of the need for Pakistan to deliver on its pledges.
The two sides discussed a wide range of topics including military cooperation, energy, economic cooperation, science and technology and the need for enhancing private sector participation.
Powell had arrived here early on Saturday evening amidst speculation that the visit would be a low-yield event. The Secretary of State himself articulated the fears hours before his arrival during a refuelling stop in Italy, saying he was not expecting a breakthrough ‘‘of the kind we saw a month or so ago’’ when the visit by Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage led to a series of de-escalatory steps from New Delhi.
Minimising the expectations from this visit even further, Powell indicated that his primary aim would be to ensure there was no return to the days of high tension, saying ‘‘we don’t want to be back where we were a few months ago’’.
Pakistan intends to tell visiting US Secretary of State Colin Powell that it has done "more than enough" to stop infiltration of militants into Jammu and Kashmir and will not grant any more "concessions" to India on this score, foreign ministry officials said.
Pakistan is not willing to yield any more ground to India on de-escalation of tensions between the two countries, the officials were quoted as saying by daily Dawn on Saturday.
The newspaper said the officials believed that Powell might again ask Pakistan to dismantle militant training camps and infrastructure on its side as demanded by India.
The officials also said resumption of dialogue was unlikely unless Washington exerted pressure on New Delhi.
They said the international community has finally come around to appreciate Pakistan's position and support its plea for resolving all outstanding issues, including Kashmir, through peaceful means.
Powell will hold talks with President Pervez Musharraf and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Inamul Haq.
PTI
That's all it is. How much have we pumped into Pakistan since 9/11?
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