By
Asif Farouqi, IOL Islamabad Correspondent
ISLAMABAD,
July 28 (IslamOnline) - U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell concluded
his South-Asian visit here Sunday, July 28, afternoon without any
breakthrough on the resumption of dialogue and introduction of
de-escalatory measures between South Asian rivals, India and Pakistan.
The
U.S. Secretary apparently failed to make the two neighbors to agree to
a dialogue or take practical measures to reduce the level of military
tensions on the borders on the rise for the last seven months.
Colin
Powell left Islamabad this afternoon following a luncheon meeting with
President Pervez Musharraf. “We cannot impose beginning of a
dialogue between Pakistan and India” Powell told a joint press
conference alongside his Pakistani counterpart, Inamul Haq before
leaving Islamabad to conclude his visit to India and Pakistan.
When
asked whether he was able to get any assurance from the President on
what more he can do to reduce tensions with India and stop alleged
infiltration of Islamic fighters into Indian Kashmir, Powell said he
was told by President Musharraf that “he has already done what he
could and the infiltration has stopped”.
U.S.
Secretary, however did not seem to be agreeing to this claim by the
Pakistani president. “The infiltration should be reduced to a level
where independent observers are able to say clearly that the Pakistan
government is doing all it can to stop cross border movement” Powell
said to a question about his views on the Pakistani claim.
He,
however, appreciated the decrease in the level of cross border
movement. "We still are not able to say that they have been
stopped, although they have gone down,” he said.
Powell
embarked on his third visit to South Asia since September 11th, with a
view to making the two sides agree to give out some concessions to
each other to reduce military tensions.
In
India, he urged upon the leadership to come to the negotiating table
with Pakistan. Soon after his arrival in Islamabad late Sunday
morning, Collin Powel said he wanted to take up the issue of cross
border infiltration with the Pakistani leader.
Indian
side earlier told the U.S. top diplomat Saturday July 27 in Delhi that
they were not ready to talk to Pakistan till such time that the
infiltration from Pakistan comes to a complete stop.
Pakistan
today made it clear that the infiltration had already stopped. “I
don't have to do anything because we've already done it,"
Musharraf was quoted as saying by the official news agency APP before
going into meeting with the U.S. diplomat.
"It
is already stopped in the past. It is not taking place and whatever
the Indian side is saying is absolutely baseless," Musharraf was
quoted as saying about the allegations of continuation of cross border
infiltration
