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Ending infiltration vital, U.S. tells Pak.

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

Washington May 24. In calling upon both India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and in encouraging the two countries to resume a "productive dialogue,'' the United States has told Pakistan that an important component to this process is to end infiltration into Kashmir.

"We understand India's frustrations and anger over continued terrorist actions, but would reiterate that rather than being the solution, military action in this crisis would create even greater problems,'' the State Department's deputy spokesman, Philip Reeker, said.

"It is important for India and Pakistan to resume a productive dialogue over the issues that divide them and that includes Kashmir. An important component to this process is an end to infiltration into Kashmir, and as we have done before, we call upon Pakistan to do all it can to achieve this objective,'' Mr. Reeker said at a regular briefing on Thursday.

He said the U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell, now travelling with President Bush in Europe had spoken twice to the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf; and that Washington's diplomacy to find a peaceful solution was being orchestrated very closely with other members of the international community. "...We are orchestrating very closely with others in the international community to work with India and Pakistan to see that they can reduce the tensions and encourage them to resume a dialogue'', he said. The Bush administration, according to Mr. Reeker, is pursuing all avenues to encourage India and Pakistan "to reduce the tensions, to foster the atmosphere for a dialogue, a dialogue that would help in resolving these issues through peaceful means, because that is obviously the over-riding goal here''.

Armitage coming on June 4

The State Department also formally announced that the Deputy Secretary of State, Richard Armitage, would be leaving Washington for South Asia on June 4 and was expected to meet leaders of both India and Pakistan. Mr. Armitage — one of the senior officials of the Bush administration focussed on South Asia — was already scheduled to be in the region in the middle of June, but in the light of the recent events, his trip is being advanced. However, the State Department maintained that Mr. Armitage is not being "rushed'' to the subcontinent.

Meanwhile, at a press briefing at the Embassy of India, the Defence Secretary, Yogendra Narain, said the issue of monitors which Pakistan had been pushing for did not figure in his discussions with administration officials. But the State Department has taken the position that the U.S. remained "engaged'' on the subject.

"It is up to the parties to the dispute to agree on any use of international monitors to reduce tensions and avoid conflict... we remain engaged on the subject,'' Mr. Reeker said on Wednesday in his briefing.

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