US EDITION
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

Sharief will implement accord: US

C K Arora in Washington

The United States is confident about the ability of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharief to redeem the commitment he had made to President Bill Clinton that his government would take steps to restore the sanctity of Line of Control in Kashmir and de-escalate tension in the Kargil sector.

Both the White House and the state department made statements to this effect, trying to set at rest doubts raised about Sharief's competence to deliver on his promise.

''Certainly we believe, he (Sharief) is the prime minister of Pakistan and that he speaks on behalf of the government,'' state department spokesman James Foley remarked.

To drive his point home, he made a reference to Pakistan army Chief Pervez Musharraf's statement supporting the US-Pakistan accord.

Foley said the comment of the army chief in the last 24 hours indicating support for the restoration and sanctity of the LoC was 'very important'.

He said it was in the interest of both India and Pakistan that de-escalation be achieved as the first step in order to return to the sanctity of the LoC.

''I think it is our presumption that the government of Pakistan has the influence necessary to defuse the situation,'' a White House official said.

When asked to comment on Pakistan Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz's statement that the restoration of the LoC should be linked to the resolution of the larger Kashmir issue, he said, ''It is our understanding that the sequence of events would be concrete steps in line with the Simla accord followed by cessation of hostilities and then re-invigoration of the Lahore process and declaration made in February that they will engage on all issues related to the relationship between Pakistan and India including Kashmir.''

''I think Pakistan, India and US all recognise the danger of the current situation and the need to take appropriate steps to defuse the situation rather than risk further escalation,'' he added.

UNI

The Kargil Crisis

Tell us what you think of this report