Musharraf's announcement could transform Indo-Pak relations
`Musharraf address will clear the cloud'
By B. Muralidhar Reddy
ISLAMABAD, JAN. 8. The senior U.S. Senator, Joseph Lieberman, said here tonight that the new policy by the Pakistan President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, on tackling militancy would transform Indo-Pak. relations.
Mr. Lieberman, who is part of the nine-member U.S. Senate delegation touring the region, told presspersons that a policy address by Gen. Musharraf later this week ``will transform the relationship with India and will defuse the current crisis. He is reaching for a speech to the Pakistani people that will change the history of this country.''
After an interaction with Gen. Musharraf, the U.S. Senator said, ``He is searching for a fresh initiative that will begin a whole new chapter in the Kashmir dispute.''
At a news conference on Monday with the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, the Pakistan President had said that he intended to address the people in the next few days to unveil a ``complete plan'' for tackling the menace of religious extremism and sectarianism.
The U.S. team, led by the Republican Senator, John McCain, held talks with Gen. Musharraf over the simmering Indo-Pak. tensions and the situation on the Pakistan borders facing Afghanistan. Mr. McCain said, ``Both India and Pakistan are our friends and we are particularly hopeful that troops would move away from both sides of the borders.''
``After meeting Gen. Musharraf, we are convinced that he is committed to eliminating terrorism and establishing a tolerant and moderate society in Pakistan.''
Mr. Lieberman said Gen. Musharraf had taken steps to combat terrorism and he was hopeful that further measures to be announced by him would help in the long term. ``The steps will help in defusing the situation prevailing in the region besides eliminating terrorism.''
About efforts at various levels to resolve differences between India and Pakistan, he said, ``The potential and resolution present at the moment requires representatives of the world to exploit it.''
Asked about India's decision not to hold talks with Pakistan in the immediate future, Mr. McCain said, ``I hope the Indian leadership will listen carefully to the words of President Musharraf and find something, sit down and start negotiations with Pakistan.''
Gen. Musharraf told the U.S. delegation that neither Osama bin Laden nor Mullah Mohammad Omar had sneaked into Pakistan and that the Government was guarding the borders facing Afghanistan with all resources at its command. |
