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US acknowledges Pak control over infiltrators

C K Arora in Washington

The United States has acknowledged Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharief's influence on the 'guerillas' fighting in Kashmir.

State department spokesman James Foley said yesterday the US believed that Sharief and his government had control ''over the Pakistani guerilla fighters, who are on the wrong side of the Line of Control.''

Asked whether Sharief had sufficient control to evacuate them back to the Pakistani side, he said, ''We believe that it is indeed possible, and also necessary, for Pakistan to ensure that those forces that have crossed from its side of the Line of Control on to the Indian side be withdrawn.''

Asked whether the US views those active in Kashmir as ''really guerilla fighters,'' Foley said: ''We've not spoken publicly about the composition of these forces, but we have made it very clear that they crossed over from the Pakistani side and they should be withdrawn.''

Asked about the prospects of Pakistan implementing the commitment Sharief had made about ending tension on the Line of Control, Foley said, ''We understand he's meeting with political and military leaders to discuss his agreement with President Clinton that concrete steps will be taken for the restoration of the Line of Control in Kashmir,'' he added.

''We are confident the prime minister wishes to see an end to this crisis. Both he and President Clinton agreed that once this crisis is resolved, the dialogue between India and Pakistan, under the Lahore process, should resume without delay,'' he said.

Giving details about the ground situation in Kargil, Foley said that fighting continued along the Line of Control. Indian leaders had declared that military operations would continue ''until all infiltrators are removed or withdrawn from their side of the line.''

He said the United States, along with others in the international community, was doing ''what we can to see the current dangerous crisis is resolved as quickly and peacefully as possible.''

UNI

The Kargil Crisis

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