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Clinton to take 'personal interest on Kashmir'

Amidst conflicting reports about the Pakistani position on the Washington accord, The Dawn of Pakistan has reported Prime Minister Nawaz Sharief's claim about the 'internationalisation of the Kashmir issue'.

The newspaper quotes Sharief as saying that ''whether India liked it or not the Kashmir dispute had been internationalised. The American involvement was essential."

He claimed that President Bill Clinton ''had assured him that he would take personal interest in helping to resolve the Kashmir dispute''.

Addressing the National Assembly, Pakistan Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Siddique Kanju went a step further. He claimed that the US has agreed to ''play a direct role in the search for a final settlement of the Kashmir dispute''.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz had also said that the restoration of the LoC should be linked to the resolution of the larger Kashmir issue.

However, the US has indicated that the Washington accord involves no such linkage.

''It is our understanding that the sequence of events would be concrete steps in line with the Simla accord followed by cessation of hostilities and then re-invigoration of the Lahore process and declaration made in February that they will engage on all issues related to the relationship between Pakistan and India including Kashmir,'' a White House official said.

ALSO SEE

India rejects bid to link Kargil with Siachen
The Kargil Crisis

EXTERNAL LINK

US involvement essential: Nawaz Sharief

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