The Hindu : Britain to ensure Pak. keeps its promise

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 07, 2002

International

International

Britain to ensure Pak. keeps its promise

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON NOV. 6. The British Government has said that it is working with Pakistan to ensure that it delivers on its "pledge"' to stop all cross-border infiltration into India.

The Foreign Office Minister, Mike O'Brien, told the Commons that he shared the concerns over the issue and the Government had been raising it "regularly" with the Pakistan Government.

"The Pakistani Government has assured us that President Musharraf's pledge that there will be no further movement across the Line of Control still stands, and that the Pakistani Army is doing all it can to stop infiltration. We are ensuring that the Pakistani Government is aware of our continued concern and we are working with it in order to ensure that those promises are indeed kept,'' he said.

Mr O'Brien, who visited India recently, said that the tension between India and Pakistan had "reduced in recent weeks" following redeployment of troops by the two countries.

"Both Gen. Musharraf and Prime Minister Vajpayee have shown that they do not want war and that they want a peaceful way forward. We now need to ensure that there is an end to terrorism and a beginning of a process of greater contact between the two countries. In due course, I hope that it will be possible to hold discussions that will lead to a peaceful settlement of the disputes, including those in relation to Kashmir," he said.

The minister welcomed the conduct of elections in Jammu and Kashmir and said despite a "high level of violence", which Britain had "unreservedly" condemned, the elections had been free and fair. "We hope that the election will be a step in a broader process that will bring peace to the region," he said.

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