Date:29/07/2002 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2002/07/29/stories/2002072905390100.htm

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Infiltration not taking place now: Musharraf

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD July 28. The Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, seemed to have pre-empted any worthwhile discussion on cross-border infiltration as he told reporters while receiving the United States Secretary of State, Colin Powell, today that there was no truth in the Indian allegation on infiltration.

"It is not taking place now. Whatever the Indian side is saying is absolutely baseless. I don't have to do anything because we've already done it,'' Gen. Musharraf said as he escorted Gen. Powell here for formal talks.

AFP reports:

Rejecting India's assertion that Pakistan-based militants were still crossing the LoC , he said ``it is already stopped in the past." He reiterated that India should agree to a dialogue to find an end to the standoff between the two countries. ``Our stand is very, very clear. We need to start a dialogue on Kashmir and all of the issues... That's what we want to see. The reciprocation and response (we want) from them is to initiate a dialogue on Kashmir.''