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Musharraf has to do more: Straw

The Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf (right), with the visiting British Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, in Islamabad on Tuesday. — AFP

ISLAMABAD MAY 28 . The British Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, said after his talks with the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, today that the Pakistani leader was aware that he was expected to do more to clamp down on cross-border terrorism.

``I think that President Musharraf is under no doubt about the expectation of the international community for clear action to be taken in addition to that which has already been taken to clamp effectively down on cross-border terrorism,'' he said at a press conference.

Mr. Straw arrived in Pakistan on his peace mission a day after Gen. Musharraf delivered an address to his nation in which he claimed that no infiltration of militants was taking place in Kashmir. ``The test of assurances down the ages is how they work out on the ground, and it's of course against the practice that all these matters are inevitably judged,'' Mr. Straw said when asked about the claim.

All the member states of the United Nations, including Pakistan, had the responsibility to bear down ``effectively and consistently on all forms of terrorism, including cross-border terrorism... There isn't any doubt that Pakistan has, in the past, assisted what they would describe as freedom fighters (whom) the rest of the world describes as terrorists or activists, across the Line of Control,'' he said.Describing his meeting with Gen. Musharraf as ``constructive and forthright,'' Mr. Straw said his visit was aimed at sharing ``the international community's concerns'' with the Pakistani and the Indian leadership.

``This (Kashmir) is a bilateral dispute of long standing and sadly, considerable bitterness between India and Pakistan,'' he said. The conflict could only be resolved through a dialogue.

``Both sides have nuclear weapons and the capacity to use those nuclear weapons. With more than a million men facing each other across the border the risks are obvious and considerable.'' However, there were ``clear limits'' to what the international community could do ``since decisions about war and peace rest with the parties to the dispute.''

Mr. Straw also met the Pakistan Foreign Minister, Abdul Sattar. — AFP, Reuters

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