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Immigration curbs: Pak. Minister rushing to U.S.

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD Jan. 16. The Pakistan Foreign Minister, Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri, is `rushing' to the United States on January 18 essentially to be seen as doing something on the fallout of the decision of the United States to include Pakistan in the list of Immigration and Naturalisation Services (INS) list.

Such is the furore within Pakistan and among Pakistanis in the U.S. over the development that the Prime Minister, Mir zafarullah Khan Jamali, directed Mr. Kasuri to advance his trip to Washington by ten days. Originally the Minister was to have left for U.S. on January 28.

Pakistan press has been critical of the Government for it has termed as building expectations of the people on an issue over which there is little chance of the Bush Administration reversing its policy.

``Mr. Kasuri 's visit to the U. S., if being principally undertaken for the purpose of removing Pakistan's name from the list of countries whose citizens need registration, then it can be said to have failed before getting underway as no such change in U.S. policy is likely'', Pakistan English daily, Daily Times said.

The impression being given in the press in Pakistan is that the prime purpose of the Foreign Minister's visit is to get the registration decision undone or fundamentally modified. The paper has pointed that that there was no question of any "give'' on this point. In fact, more countries are going to be added to existing list of 20 states, all but one of them Islamic.

Washington seems to view Mr. Kasuri's trip as no more than a visit by a Minister who has just taken office. So the visit would enable Mr. Kasturi get himself acquainted with the senior figures in the Bush Administration and vice-versa.

Though Mr. Kasturi would be in the U.S. on January 19 the date for the meeting between Ms. Kasuri and the Secretary of State, Colin Powell, remains unchanged at January 29.

The Minister will also be meeting National Security Adviser, Condoleeza Rice.

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