ISLAMABAD, June 6: US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said on Thursday that although the situation was quite complicated and volatile, President Gen Pervez Musharraf had assured him he would avoid war with India.
After having talks with the president, Mr Armitage told reporters: “Well, of course, the situation is quite complicated and volatile but I am very heartened to hear President Musharraf’s desire to have war avoidance”.
The US envoy said he (the president) was very articulate on his hopes and aspirations for the people of Pakistan — pointing to the future. The president made “it clear that nothing is happening across the Line of Control,” he said.
Mr Armitage’s visit to Islamabad follows telephonic conversations overnight by US President George W. Bush with President Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.
Earlier, the Deputy Secretary met Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar and Foreign Secretary Inamul Haque.
During his meeting with President Musharraf, the US envoy congratulated the general for his efforts in the Afghan war. Mr Armitage said: “We were able to discuss President Musharraf’s comments about the cessation of activities across the Line of Control. We were able to continue discussions about the search for peace and a search to lower the tensions that exist between Pakistan and India, and I am looking forward very much to travelling tomorrow to Delhi to continue these discussions with my Indian colleagues”.
Some of the excerpts from Mr Armitage’s press talk:
Q: Have you discussed with the president the diversion of troops from western border to the Kashmir area?
A: We did have a short discussion on that. Of course, on CNN this past weekend, I noticed the president discussed it very openly and said that some elements had moved. But the main activities on the western border seem to be unaffected from my point of view.
Q: Do you feel closer than or further than the kind of scenario people were talking about one week ago about a conventional engagement between India and Pakistan that might escalate beyond that?
A: I don’t know that I can characterize it. I said that President Musharraf has made it very clear that he is searching for peace; that he won’t be the one who would initiate a war and I will be looking hopefully for the same type of assurances tomorrow in Delhi.
Q: When President Musharraf came back from Almaty he had said he thought tensions had been reduced over the past few days or week. Did he convey that assessment to you?
A: We discussed the actual situation. He is doing what he feels he can to reduce tensions and I have noticed in newspaper accounts both here and in India, an apparent lessening of tensions. But I’ll just leave it at that.
Q: Do you think that in the presence of such a large number of troops infiltrations from Pakistan is possible, and what is your opinion about the UN monitors along the LoC?
A: Well, the president has made it very clear that nothing is happening across the Line of Control. We are looking for that to hold over the longer run. On the question of UN observers, it seems to be something that the Indians have dismissed off hand. We are discussing all sorts of monitoring mechanisms without any prejudices to one way or the other.
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