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US says it has no hand
in J&K peace process

G Chandrashekhar in Washington

The United States Thursday said it had no hand in the ongoing peace efforts in Jammu and Kashmir and that the process unfolding there ''is homegrown and coming from within the region.''

It, however, expressed confidence that the positive steps taken by parties concerned in the past few months would lead to a direct dialogue between India and Pakistan.

Addressing a news conference in Washington, Assistant Secretary (South Asia) Karl Inderfurth said he believed that the proposed dialogue between Kashmiri groups on both sides of the border and India would be positive and productive and could pave the way for resumption of direct talks between India and Pakistan.

Rejecting reports that US was actively involved in track-II diplomacy leading to ceasefire in the valley and withdrawal of troops by Pakistan along the line of control, Inderfurth said his government had been expressing support for actions and statements made by leaders of both the countries leading to reduction of tension.

''I am leaving on a hopeful note that things have improved in the region,'' he said and expressed confidence that the Bush administration would continue to extend support to the steps taken by both countries to address some fundamental issues.

Recalling a statement made by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to this effect, he said the ongoing efforts could lead to resumption of dialogue between India and Pakistan.

''The US has all along been maintaining that conditions should be created for resumption of dialogue between the two countries to resolve the Kashmir issue,'' he said.

The South Asia bureau of the State Department will have a fresh set up after the Bush administration takes over on January 20. Under Secretary Thomas Pickering, a career diplomat, has already retired from service, while Deputy Secretary Strobe Talbott and Assistant Secretary Karl Inderfurth, political appointees of the Democratic party regime, are in the process of quitting.

Speculations are rife that a Pakistani American, Shirin Kalili, is likely to take over as the assistant secretary, though expectations are that it would take at least a month for a decision to be taken.

Inderfurth said the question of completely revoking sanctions imposed on India after it detonated nuclear bombs in 1998 as well as declaring Lashkar-e-Tayiba, the Kashmiri militant organisation operating from Pakistan, as a terrorist group, would have to be addressed by the new administration.

The Lashkar-e-Tayiba issue was still very much under review of the State Department, he said.

Inderfurth described the slow pace of normalisation of relations between India and Pakistan as one of the major disappointments of his tenure.

The peace process suffered a serious setback because of the Kargil crisis, he said adding that President Clinton tried to use ''influence and support to reduce tensions in the region.''

Both India and the US have gone beyond a single-issue agenda and have identified broad areas of cooperation such as commerce, science and technology and environment.

The Clinton administration gave a boost to relations with India and further steps were required by the next government to sustain them, he said.

''We have successfully reintroduced ourselves to India with the end of Cold War through two high-level visits involving President Clinton and Prime Minister Vajpayee. The visits have demonstrated that both countries are keen on a qualitative improvement in ties.''

UNI

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