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Pak ambassador continues crusade for US mediation

Aziz Haniffa
India Abroad Correspondent in Washington

Pakistan's diminutive ambassador to the United States, Maleeha Lodhi, in the run-up to the Agra summit between President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, has continued her crusade for US intercession in Kashmir to help resolve the 50-year-old imbroglio.

Speaking to the largest organisation of Pakistani Americans -- The Association of Pakistani American Physicians of North America -- and its political wing, the Pak-PAC, which held its annual convention in Chicago, Lodhi said, "We know that the United States shares the objective of peace and stability in South Asia."

Thus, she declared, "We hope it will play a helpful role in encouraging continued dialogue and the resolution of outstanding issues."

Less than two weeks ago, speaking at the annual Pakistan Day programme organised by the Pakistan American Congress in Washington, Lodhi had urged "fair and friendly intercession" of Washington to resolve the Kashmir problem and overcome the "legacy of antagonism and distrust" between Islamabad and New Delhi.

In her speech in Chicago to nearly 3,000 Pakistani American physicians and their families, Lodhi, a former journalist and an indefatigable activist for democratic principles -- who many believe sold out to become an envoy of the military regime -- kept gushing about what a great leader General Musharraf was.

Besides going through a laundry list of what he had done to alleviate the economy, which is in the doldrums, and to end the spiral of ethnic and sectarian violence that has ravaged Pakistan, Lodhi said, "For over 20 months, he has taken several steps to promote restraint, reduction of tensions and unconditional resumption of dialogue with New Delhi."

She said Musharraf had "persisted in this approach despite the initial negative response".

"We are glad that Prime Minister Vajpayee has grasped the sincerity of President Musharraf's bid for dialogue and peace," the ambassador said. "He has gladly accepted Prime Minister Vajpayee's invitation to visit India to resume the dialogue. We hope this dialogue will substantively address the Kashmir dispute -- and other outstanding issues."

Lodhi declared, "We will approach the dialogue positively and constructively within the framework of the relevant international principles and our desire for peace and justice. We hope that a new era of amity can be opened with President Musharraf's journey to India."

In her remarks Lodhi also said that Pakistan "has welcomed the Bush administration's desire to sustain and enhance America's half-a-century old friendship with Pakistan".

But she acknowledged that "we also agree that our bilateral relationship is in need of rebuilding in line with the realities of this post-Cold War era".

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