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US advises restraint to both Pak and India

The Clinton administration has expressed 'regret' at Pakistan's successful flight test of its new surface-to-surface Ghauri missile, and renewed the United States's appeal of restraint to both India and Pakistan and follow through their commitment to a dialogue on security matters.

America's Permanent Representative in the UN Bill Richardson and Assistant Secretary for South Asian Affairs Karl F Inderfurth, who visit Islamabad and New Delhi next week, will take up this issue with leaders of the two countries, state department spokesman James Foley said.

Asked whether the US had any advance warning of the Pakistani missile test, he replied, ''Not to my knowledge.''

Asked whether the Clinton administration made any last-minute attempt to dissuade Pakistan from going ahead with the test, he said, ''I am not aware of that. If the question is any way veered into matters of what we know and don't know by various means, I can't from this podium, comment on that. But, I am not aware that there was any demarche of the type you ask about.''

Foley said there was no plan to call the ambassadors of the two countries to the state department and discuss the issue. As he had stated, the matter would be discussed by Richardson and Inderfurth in New Delhi and Islamabad during their forthcoming visit to the region, he added.

What worried the United States most was the timing of the test-fire of 1,500 km-range missile that is capable of carrying nuclear weapons and reaching deep into India. ''At this juncture, with a new Indian government assuming power, and renewed hopes that India and Pakistan can enter into a productive bilateral dialogue, we believe it is especially important to avoid steps in the nuclear, missile areas that could be seen as provocative and could adversely affect the political and security environment in the region,'' he added.

When a correspondent sought to link the test-firing of the Pakistani missile to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government's declared policy of inducting nuclear weapons into India's armed forces, the spokesman said, ''I will not ascribe a specific explanation of the type that you are talking about.''

Foley, however, said, ''The United States believes that it is the problem of the long-standing tensions and suspicions that have long existed between India and Pakistan that strongly influence both countries' decision-making on what they see as issues of vital national security interest. So, it is those perceptions, I think which are the underlying factors here.''

Asked whether Pakistan had made use of the Chinese technology in the Ghauri missile which the US had earlier detected, he said, ''I don't have that particular information, not to my knowledge.''

But, Pakistan was known to have a ballistic missile programme and had sought technology and equipment from a number of foreign suppliers. ''We have observed in the past that China has provided assistance to Pakistan's ballistic missiles efforts and it should not be assumed in this case that China was the supplier. We are now of course examining this matter,'' he added.

In reply to another question, the state department spokesman said the US information indicated that the ballistic missile flight test did occur yesterday. Pakistan's foreign ministry had also announced that it successfully tested what he was told was a 1,500-km range missile.

In terms of the regional stability, he pointed out, ''The United States has long believed that the development or acquisition of ballistic missiles by Pakistan or India would be destabilising and undermine the security of both countries.''

He said both India and Pakistan were aware of their position on the importance of restraint in nuclear and missile programmes.

He said the US welcomed last year the decision by the two countries to resume discussions to reduce tensions and make progress towards resolving long-term disputes.

''We applaud their recent recommitment to pursue this dialogue,'' Foley said, and added, ''We think that the open discussion of security concerns is of particular importance to a success dialogue.''

UNI

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