Search the Internet          Tips

Joint patrol: US wants India to work on formal proposal

After Pakistan asked India to formally present its proposal for joint patrolling along the border, the United States said it was looking for New Delhi to take the next step.

"President Pervez Musharraf has reiterated to us that there won't be any support from Pakistan to terrorists and he will stop infiltration across the Line of Control on a permanent basis and as that becomes clear and evident, we will look at India for reciprocal actions," state department spokesman Richard Boucher said on Thursday at a press briefing.

"So we think it is important for both sides to look at how to do that, how to de-escalate the tensions, how to ease off the confrontation rather than starting to plan other alternatives, which are not in anyone's interest," Boucher said.

"We are indeed working on this. Deputy Secretary Richard Armitage is working to defuse the tensions," Boucher said.

He declined to spell out the specific steps that might be adopted to achieve this objective.

Declining to comment on Home Minister L K Advani's statement that if the international commuity, including the US fails to stop terrorism from Pakistan, then India will only have military option, Boucher said, "I don't have a comment on everything that is said."

He agreed that there is a difference in the travel advisories to Americans issued in Pakistan and those issued in India.

In Pakistan, non-essential Americans were 'ordered' to leave while in India they were 'advised'.

This, he said, is because in Pakistan there is the additional danger of terrorist attacks apart from the Indo-Pakistan tensions common to both countries.

PTI

RELATED REPORTS
Pakistan reacts cautiously to PM's proposal on joint patrol
US, Britain welcome PM's proposal for joint patrolling

Terrorism Strikes in Jammu: The complete coverage

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report