Powell talks tough on Kashmir

Colin Powell, the US Secretary of State, yesterday refused to endorse the Pakistan President's claim that militant Muslims had been stopped from crossing the disputed Kashmiri border into India.

General Powell said after talks with General Pervez Musharraf in Islamabad: "Everybody agrees that [infiltration] has gone down. Some say significantly, some say it's only temporary and not yet significant. With respect to the US position, we are monitoring this carefully. We still are not able to say that they have been stopped, though they have gone down."

That contradicted General Musharraf who had said: "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."

On his third trip to the region since October, General Powell said he saw signs that the two neighbours may be inching toward fresh talks that could lead to a lasting peace. India says it would not consider dialogue with Pakistan until it is convinced that Pakistan-based militants have halted incursions into the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir.

In New Delhi, General Powell called for India to release political prisoners and find ways to convince Kashmiris that elections this autumn in Indian-ruled Kashmir will be free and fair. He also said both Pakistan and India had to ensure the safety of those who wanted to contest elections or vote.

Pakistan has been critical of previous elections in the Indian part of Kashmir. India accuses Pakistan of arming, funding, training and helping militants to cross the frontier to launch attacks. Pakistan, which controls a third of Kashmir, has said it supports the guerrillas' cause, but denies it provides material aid.

Tensions between India and Pakistan flared last year after an attack on the Indian parliament that New Delhi blamed on Pakistan, resulting in a massive deployment of troops by both countries. Escalating tensions also generated fears of a nuclear war.(AP)