M A I N   N E W S

Pak not to press for dialogue

CARTAGENA (Colombia) April 8 (PTI) — Pakistan today said it would not press India for the resumption of the stalled dialogue as New Delhi had spurned its formal offer to hold talks.

“We had made the offer of holding talks with India any time anywhere. India has rejected it. We are not going to force the pace,” Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar told reporters on arrival here to attend the two-day non-aligned ministerial conference which opened today.

India made it clear that Pakistan must end cross-border terrorism and hostile propaganda against it for any meaningful dialogue to take place.

Indian-officials have said there is no meeting scheduled between External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Abdul Sattar on the fringes of the NAM meet.

Meanwhile, India today asked the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to join in the urgent conclusion of a comprehensive convention on international terrorism and demanded an end to foreign military intervention in Afghanistan.

“We call for urgent conclusion and effective implementation of a comprehensive convention on international terrorism. We also call on all states to adhere to and implement existing international conventions on terrorism,” a draft political resolution proposed by senior Indian officials for adoption by the 13th NAM ministerial conference said.

In an obvious reference to Pakistan’s military support to the Taliban in Afghanistan, the draft asserted that all states concerned must immediately end military intervention in Afghanistan including presence and involvement of foreign military personnel.

“We are convinced that there is no military solution to the Afghan conflict and call upon the Taliban to cease immediately all armed hostilities, to renounce the use of force and to engage without preconditions, in a genuine and serious political dialogue aimed at achieving a lasting political settlement acceptable to all Afghans,” it said.

Earlier, Colombian President Andres Pastrana Arango opened the 115-member NAM ministerial meet. Indian delegation to the meet is being led by External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh.

Endorsing India’s stand, acting Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kiriella told the inaugural session that all state should work for the adoption of international conventions against suppression of terrorism.

In a separate economic draft resolution, India has sought increase in financial contribution of developed countries to international financial institution and to approve increase in special drawing rights in the IMF to improve international liquidity.

Global nuclear disarmament and United Nations reforms, including the expansion of the United Nations Security Council are other issues besides cross-border terrorism that are expected to dominate the deliberaton at the two-day NAM conference.

In the draft political resolution, India said the UN must continued to play its central and impartial role in international efforts towards a peaceful resolution of the Afghan conflict.

Earlier, the deep freeze in relations between New Delhi and Islamabad was evident today when External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh ignored the presence of his Pakistani counterpart Abdul Sattar despite flying here in the same plane from Miami to attend the Non-Aligned Foreign Ministers’ meeting.

Mr Jaswant Singh, who arrived in this port city to attend the three-day meet, boarded the aircraft at the usual transit point of Miami for the Latin American country after Mr Sattar was already seated in the plane.

Mr Jaswant Singh boarded Colombian airliner Avianca’s plane and during the two-and-a-half fight did not exchange a word with Mr Sattar.

An Indian diplomat here said there was no meeting scheduled between the two ministers on the sidelines of the 13th NAM ministerial conference beginning today.