Pak.-U.S. ties will not affect India: Omar

COLOMBO, OCT. 3. Emphasising that the United States saw India as a strategic partner, the Minister of State for External Affairs, Mr. Omar Abdullah, today said Pakistan's emergence as a frontline state in the global war against terrorism would not have any impact on Indo-U.S. relations.

``I see no reason why it should harm our ties with the U.S. as India's relations with America are based on some strong fundamentals,'' Mr. Abdullah told presspersons while on a brief stop-over here enroute Maldives. ``The U.S. sees India as a strategic partner in the region, and both nations have a shared commitment to democracy. There is no change in these fundamentals.''

Improvement in Pak-U.S. relations could impart stability to the region. ``Stability in Pakistan will always be in India's interest. The last thing we want is to see Pakistan turning into an Afghanistan of today.'' Pakistan, as a frontline state for the U.S.-led campaign, would seek to extract whatever concessions were possible, and early lifting of the sanctions imposed after its 1998 nuclear tests was one.

It would be an ``unhealthy development'' if the sanctions imposed in the wake of the October 1999 coup were also lifted, as the Musharraf regime remained one that assumed power by non- democratic means.

Mr. Abdullah said Pakistan should speak out against terrorism universally instead of condoning it in Kashmir. In the case of military strikes against Afghanistan, Gen. Musharraf would seek to reassure his people about his commitment to the ``Kashmir cause'' to contain the adverse impact of his country backing a war against the Taliban.

``The situation in Kashmir is already worsening. The suicide blast in the Assembly two days ago is a sign.''

- PTI

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Section  : International
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