archive: US asks Pak to rein in militants
US asks Pak to rein in militants
Aziz Haniffa
The Economic Times
July 23, 1999
Title: US asks Pak to rein in militants
Author: Aziz Haniffa
Publication: The Economic Times
Date: July 23, 1999
The United States has called on Pakistan to rein in terrorist groups
operating out of that country in the wake of the massacre of 19
civilians in the Doda and Poonch districts of Jammu and Kashmir on
July 20.
State Department spokesman James Rubin noted that "these are only the
most recent (in a) number of attacks against civilians, both Hindu and
Muslim." As secretary (of state Madeleine) Albright said," Mr Rubin
added, "we condemn attacks against civilians, those who perpetrate
them and those who give assistance to the perpetrators."
He declared, quoting Ms Albright, "acts of terrorism must stop
immediately. Violent action against innocents, whatever their source,
make the Kashmir conflict more, not less, difficult to resolve." "The
continuing violence in and around Kashmir," Mr Rubin said, "underlines
the pressing need for India and Pakistan to resolve differences. We
hope that India and Pakistan will resume their dialogue under the
Lahore process." Mr Rubin said with regard to the most recent
killings in Jammu and Kashmir by the terrorists, "We are not in a
position to make an independent determination of responsibilities for
these killings."
"We do believe, however," he said, "that militant groups with leaders
and infrastructure in Pakistan are among those connected with killings
of civilians in Indian-held Kashmir." Mr Rubin said the US has "for
example, designated one such group - Harkat ul-Ausar - as a terrorist
organisation."
"We call on the government of Pakistan and all others with influence
on these groups to press them towards restraint,' he said.
Asked if the recent killings were seen as a violation of Pakistani
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's pledge to President Bill Clinton to get
Pakistan-backed infiltrators to withdraw from the Indian side, he said
Washington was not of such an opinion. "No, I think on the contrary
what we've said is that we believe the steps necessary have been taken
to follow through on the commitments that Prime Minister Sharif made,"
he said.
- IANS
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