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US to continue support a dialogue between India, Pakistan

T V Parasuram in Washington

Putting pressure on Islamabad to stop infiltration across the Line of Control, the United States has said it will continue to support a dialogue between India and Pakistan to help defuse the current crisis.

"Pakistan has to stop infiltration across the Line of Control. It means closing down terrorist camps," State Department Director of Policy Planning Richard Haass said on Tuesday at a joint meeting of the Indo-US Parliamentary Forum, FICCI and Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The meeting was attended by founder of the India Caucus, Frank Pallone, chairman of the Forum Kapil Sibal, Members of Parliament Rajeev Shukla, Praful Patel, N J Panda and senior vice-president of FICCI A C Muthiah.

"The state department will continue to support a dialogue between India and Pakistan, lend its good offices for defusing this crisis," Haass said adding, "We are available for other involvement as the governments seem fit."

Answering critics who said that cross-border terrorism continued for several months from Pakistan even after Musharraf's famous January 12 address to the nation, Haass said, "I understand there is a difference between words and actions. Many of those things have not yet been translated or not been fully translated into action."

"But it still was a major step in the right direction," he added.

"He (Musharraf) has committed himself to ending terrorism across the Line of Control and removing the terrorist camps. We are seeing significant progress," he said.

"One can harp on imperfections on what has not been said and done," Haass said, adding "It is also important to recognise where progress has been made and positive things are being said and done."

"It is very much in the interests of India and the United States that Musharraf succeeds, and more important than that, that Pakistan succeeds in becoming a dynamic, democratic, stable country."

Replying to criticism of President Musharraf by some of the speakers who did not share his enthusiasm for Musharraf, Haass said, "I have a slightly more generous view of Musharraf."

Haass praised his actions after September 11 despite 'there being probably resistance from certain quarters in Pakistan'.

Musharraf then delivered a 'rather extraordinary address' to the Pakistani people, Haass said.

"I am waiting for other leaders of the Muslim world to deliver comparable addresses," he said.

Sibal, reacted sharply to the Haass arguments saying 'there is definitely a difference in perception' in the approach to Pakistan between India and the views expressed by Haass.

For India, he said, the issue is how much Pakistan is doing to stop cross-border terrorism. The US perception appears to be that Pakistanis are doing a lot. The Indian experience is definitely different, Sibal said.

Terrorism Strikes in Jammu and Kashmir: The complete coverage

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