Bush stresses on Indo-Pak. dialogue

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, FEB. 21 The U.S. President, Mr. George W. Bush, in his first official letter to the Pakistan Chief Executive and military ruler, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, has emphasised the need for dialogue between India and Pakistan for resolution of differences.

The very fact that the Pakistan Foreign Office chose to issue a press statement today highlighting some of the main points made by the U.S. President showed that the military establishment was upbeat over the letter.

The letter handed over to the Chief Executive by the American Ambassador to Pakistan, Mr. William B. Milam, was in response to a letter addressed by Gen. Musharraf to Mr. Bush.

There is a perception in Pakistan, though not shared by all, that a Republican Administration in Washington would mean that the pronounced pro-India tilt of the U.S., witnessed particularly during the second Clinton tenure, would be a thing of the past.

The statement said Mr. Bush appreciated the long history of cooperation and goodwill between Pakistan and the U.S. and underlined the shared interests of the two countries in a peaceful and stable South Asia. ``He has applauded Pakistan's gesture in sending assistance for earthquake relief to India and expressed pleasure at the direct contact between the Chief Executive and the Indian Prime Minister. President Bush has emphasised that dialogue is vital for resolving the differences between the two countries.''

On Afghanistan, Mr. Bush had expressed the hope that the issues relating to Kabul would be addressed in a positive way. He looked forward to the opportunities ahead for better relations between the U.S. and Pakistan.

The optimism of the Musharraf Government of a turn around in Pakistan-U.S. ties was based on the assumption that Republicans were traditionally more favourable towards Pakistan. Islamabad has had the best of relations with the U.S. with a Republican at the helm of affairs. Unlike the Democrats, as was evident during the Clinton era, the Republicans would not be `obsessed' with issues like human rights and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

However, those outside the establishment were not prepared to share the optimism. They felt that the U.S. foreign policy was a continuous process and it made little difference as to who was in charge of the White House.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : International
Previous : New U.K. Act will not affect us, says JKLF leader
Next     : Chandrika visit to India - a mission to test the
           waters?