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India iterates opposition to third-party mediation
By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, FEB. 14. India, for the second day, reiterated its rejection of third-party intervention in Indo-Pakistan affairs and said the differences between the two sides could be resolved only through direct talks.

Asked about the reported U.S. readiness to facilitate Indo-Pak. talks, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Nirupama Rao, said the U.S. President, George W. Bush, had said on Wednesday that he would ``encourage'' a dialogue between New Delhi and Islamabad.

``We have made our position clear. It is for India and Pakistan to address their issues directly through bilateral dialogue. There is no room for third-party involvement in this process,'' Ms. Rao said.

Responding to a related question, she clarified that India was not against ties between the U.S. and Pakistan. It, however, felt its relationship with Washington could not be hyphenated with Pakistan.

Declining comment on unconfirmed reports about the death of the kidnapped American journalist, Daniel Pearl, in Pakistan, she said India deplored the kidnapping. ``It is our sincere hope that no harm comes to him.''

Government sources here pointed out that Pearl's kidnapping appeared to be overseen by ``rogue elements'' within the Pakistani Intelligence.

According to Ms. Rao, India had not sought the U.S.' assistance on the extradition of individuals in the list of 20 fugitives it had sent to Pakistan.

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