New Delhi, July 27
India today told the USA that it had been restrained and not indulged in aggressive talk against Pakistan despite the fact that Islamabad was continuing with its policy of cross-border terrorism.

This was conveyed by External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha to visiting US Secretary of State Colin Powell, the spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs told reporters late tonight.

Briefing about the one-hour one-on-one talks between Mr Sinha and Mr Powell and the Indo-US delegation-level talks, the spokesperson said Mr Powell expressed his understanding with the Indian viewpoint. “Our concerns have been registered with the Americans,” she said.

Significantly, the spokesperson said India pointed out to the USA that the actions of Pakistan were violative of the United Nations (UN) Resolution 1373. The UN Resolution had provisions for stringent action, including military action, against a state found to be involved in promoting terrorist activities. “Pakistan’s private commitments are entirely contradicted by its public pronouncements ... pledges once made are meant to be kept,” the spokesperson added.

The two sides discussed a whole gamut of issues, including the forthcoming elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Washington expressed concerns that hundreds if not thousands of cadres of the Al-Qaeda were still running loose. The spokesperson described the talks between Mr Sinha and Mr Powell as “very positive” and “meaningful” and said the two leaders had developed an excellent chemistry.

Earlier, Mr Powell made clear his mission to the Indian subcontinent: “(to) see if we can even begin talking about talks at some point in the near future.”

Mr Powell told reporters that he was not expecting a breakthrough “yet” of the kind which was witnessed about a month ago during the visit of his deputy Richard Armitage but his effort was to see that the Indo-Pak relations were not back to the point where they were a few months ago.

“Ultimately we have to get to dialogue or else we will just be stuck on a plateau which would not serve our interests... I think both sides now recognise the need for a dialogue. It is a question of timing and it is a question of expectations and conditions met. What I will have to do with both Indians and Pakistanis is see when they are comfortable beginning a dialogue,” Mr Powell said.

The Secretary of State said he would ask the leadership of the two countries “how they want to get started with the dialogue.”

He said he expected India and Pakistan to resume a dialogue and talked about the various scenarios; “Will it be when the escalation goes down? Will it be when there is greater assurance that there is no cross-border infiltration? Will it be when elections (in Jammu and Kashmir) are over?”

Mr Powell talked of “some reduction” in infiltration across the Line of Control “but it was still unfortunately the case that there is violence. There is terrorist violence that takes place.”

He pointed out that in his conversations with the Indian and Pakistani leaders he would try to find out “if there are any other actions that can be taken that will reduce the level of violence or the potential for violence.”