INDIA/PAKISTAN: Tension between nuclear rivals India and Pakistan eased somewhat yesterday after a senior US official assured Delhi of President Musharraf's commitment to crack down on Islamic militants infiltrating Kashmir.
"Pakistan's President Musharraf has made it clear to the Americans that stopping infiltration across the line of control (dividing Kashmir) needs to be an action that is permanent," India's foreign ministry spokeswoman, Ms Nirupama Rao, said.
She was speaking after the US Deputy Secretary of State, Mr Richard Armitage, met senior Indian leaders to seek similar assurances to defuse the heightened tension between the neighbours, locked in a military standoff for more than six months.
Ms Rao said over the next few days, India expected to see "concrete steps" by Pakistan to end cross-border infiltration of Muslim insurgents. "If and when we are satisfied that Musharraf's assurances have been implemented, then we will take appropriate action," Ms Rao added.
Earlier, during a brief press statement following talks with India's foreign minister, Mr Jaswant Singh, Mr Armitage said President Bush and the US Secretary of State, Mr Colin Powell, had sent him to the region in search of peace. He described his discussions with Mr Singh as "frank and full", adding that he was able to relay to the foreign minister the "tone, tenor and content" of his discussions with Mr Musharraf, but declined to take any questions. Mr Amritage later met the Indian Prime Minister, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
"We are committed to moving on the path to peace," Mr Singh said. He said Mr Vajpayee had committed India to taking reciprocal steps once it was confirmed that Islamabad had stopped sponsoring Islamic militancy and cross-border terrorism in Kashmir.
Mr Singh said Delhi's offer, unveiled earlier this week, of India and Pakistan jointly patrolling Kashmir's line of control, was the only "solution" to curb Islamic militancy. "It isn't as if it (joint India-Pakistan patrolling) is going to be established tomorrow but it is a process. It is evolutionary, it's an answer and that is what one should work towards," Mr Singh said.
India's believes joint patrols would verify Gen Musharraf's claims that Pakistan has reined in Islamic militants.
Pakistan has responded feebly to the idea of joint patrols, saying it preferred the deployment of around 500 foreign troops along the line of control, as proposed by the British Defence Secretary, Mr Geoffrey Hoon. India opposes international troops patrolling the Kashmir frontier.
The exodus of foreigners from Delhi continued. Japan said it would charter a flight to try to evacuate its nationals.