Search the Internet          Tips

US rebuffs Pakistani assertion on J&K poll

In a rebuff to Pakistan's assertion that the election in Jammu and Kashmir was a 'futile' exercise, the US has said a free and fair election would be seen as an 'expression of the will' of the Kashmiris.

Speaking to a Pakistani delegation of editors and journalists in Washington, United States Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said, "Our concern is [that] the election is free of violence."

Armitage's comment appeared to be an indication to Pakistan to 'keep off' the polls so that the '[peace] process' could be moved forward in Kashmir, Pakistani daily The News said.

Significantly, Armitage also said that President Pervez Musharraf believed that elections everywhere should be violence free.

He said there is a lot of concern in the world community to resolve the Kashmir issue. The world 'heavy weights' like Russia, Great Britain, Sweden, China and Germany have joined hands with the US to create a 'congenial atmosphere' for the resolution of the Kashmir problem, which should be finally sorted out by India and Pakistan themselves, he said.

"We still believe that the solution has to be reached between the two parties together," he said.

Asked about India's 'refusal' to allow international observers to monitor the J&K poll, Armitage said the Indian officials told him that New Delhi would welcome foreign diplomats based in the capital to travel and observe the election.

When asked what would happen if India refused to permit foreign diplomats, he said if it happened, there would be 'questions' asked about the process.

However, he said, "My understanding is that observers from the diplomatic community would be allowed and they would be able to make a judgement."

About the possibility of a poor turnout like in the past, he said that the US would not try to 'pre-judge' results before it happened.

Jammu and Kashmir Elections 2002: The complete coverage

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report