Author:
Publication: Sify News
Date: October 30, 2002
URL: http://headlines.sify.com/1316news1.html
Pakistan on Wednesday strongly criticised
remarks by US ambassador to India Robert Blackwill in which he implicitly
blamed Islamabad for "cross-border terrorism" in Jammu and Kashmir.
Blackwill Tuesday said "terrorism"
in Kashmir was "almost entirely externally driven".
The Pakistani foreign ministry hit
back, saying the ambassador had no business to comment about relations
between India and Pakistan. "The observation was incorrect," a foreign
ministry statement said. "Such ill-considered remarks only serve to create
complications."
"It would be better if the US ambassador
in New Delhi were to desist from pronouncing himself on Pakistan-India
issues and instead focussed on US-India relations."
This is the second time in less
than a month Blackwill has come under fire for similar remarks. "I want
to make it clear, with respect to the tension that existed after December
13, that India was a victim of terrorism so I have no intention of criticising
India's response to terrorism or terrorist activities," Blackwill said
while replying to questions at the end of a business meeting on India-US
trade relations.
"The problem obviously in Kashmir
is cross-border terrorism. It's virtually now, in my judgement, entirely
externally driven, almost entirely externally driven."
December 13 was the day last year
that extremists attacked the Indian parliament in New Delhi. India blamed
the attack - which saw tensions between the two arch foes rise to a fever
pitch - on Kashmiri militants funded by Pakistan, a charge Islamabad has
repeatedly denied.
The foreign ministry said Pakistan
had taken up the matter with the US ambassador to Pakistan.
