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“WORKING FOR RESUMPTION OF INDIA-PAKISTAN DIALOGUE ON KASHMIR” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H2635-H2636 on May 8, 2000.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
WORKING FOR RESUMPTION OF INDIA-PAKISTAN DIALOGUE ON KASHMIR
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, recently we have seen some reason for hope about the resumption of a dialogue between Pakistan and India on resolving the Kashmir conflict. But we have also received a reminder of how difficult the path toward dying dialogue can be.
On the hopeful side, the United States has asked Pakistan to take concrete steps for the resumption of a productive dialogue with India and a return to what is known as the ``Spirit of Lahore'' so that there will be no more Kargils.
I should explain, Madam Speaker, that Lahore is a city in Pakistan near the border with India. It was the scene not much more than a year ago of a very amicable meeting between India's Prime Minister Vajpayee and the former Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif. Given the longstanding animosity between the two South Asian neighbors, the image of the two prime ministers embracing and pledging to work in a spirit of partnership and respect was heart-warming, promising a new era in bilateral relations.
But a short time later there was Kargil. Kargil is the name of a town in Kashmir under India's jurisdiction near the line of control that separates the areas controlled by India and Pakistan. In May of 1999, Pakistani-backed forces crossed that line and attacked India's defensive positions near Kargil. This bold gambit by Pakistan was not successful militarily. Ultimately, it proved to be even more of a disaster militarily for Pakistan, and the United States urged Pakistan to withdraw its forces back to its side of the line of control. Our government refused to go along with Pakistan's bid to strengthen its position by internationalizing the crisis by trying to get the United States to step in as a mediator in the bilateral dispute.
What little was left of the ``Spirit of Lahore,'' Madam Speaker, was further eroded last October when a military coup in Pakistan removed the civilian government from power and threw Prime Minister Sharif in jail.
In a recent interview with an international news service, our Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs, Karl Inderfurth, said that a solution to the Kashmir project must be homegrown and not exploited from the outside. Mr. Inderfurth expressed that the State Department was trying to move away from the old days when there was typically a pro-Pakistan tilt in U.S. policy in the region, to a more even-handed approach for working with both of the major South Asian nations. But he stated, and I quote, ``Right now we have more opportunities to pursue with India, and, frankly, right now we have many more concerns about the direction Pakistan is heading.'' He also expressed hope that Pakistan would take concrete steps that would allow a productive and serious dialogue to be resumed with India.
Madam Speaker, I would stress that the most helpful concrete step that Pakistan could take would be to do all in its power to end the cross-border terrorism that has caused so much suffering to the people of Kashmir, Hindu and Muslim alike. While India has made clear its willingness to negotiate in good faith with Pakistan, India also has to maintain a vigilant defensive posture for as long as the Pakistani-
supported cross-border terrorism continues.
Madam Speaker, I believe that President Clinton's recent trip to South Asia, which I had the opportunity to take part in, has played a significant role in helping to reduce tensions and hostility between Pakistan and India. As Secretary Inderfurth said, ``The President's visit has changed the terms of the relationship between the United States and India, the world's two largest democracies.'' The President made it clear to both India and Pakistani leaders that the U.S. would be happy to work with both countries as friends to try to encourage dialogue, but it is not our place to dictate the terms of the peace process in Kashmir much less the outcome.
The great thing about the Lahore process is that it rose as a bilateral initiative between India and Pakistan. The key for breathing life into the bilateral Lahore declarations is for Pakistan to accept India's outstretched hand. And so far, unfortunately, Pakistan has been sending somewhat mixed signals.
Meanwhile, Madam Speaker, we have seen how dangerous the Kashmiri militant movement, which is supported by Pakistan, has become. Over the weekend we heard from one of the militant leaders, Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar, who was one of the three militants freed last December by the Indian government in exchange for freeing the innocent hostages being held in the hijacked Indian Airlines plane. According to a news account from the AP, Mr. Zargar dismissed the idea of negotiations with India, promising to stay on the path of jehad, or holy war. He threatened punishment for any Kashmiri who opened talks with India. And this, unfortunately, is the true face of the so-called freedom movement in Kashmir.
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Mr. Speaker, by taking steps towards negotiation, Pakistan could help to isolate and undercut these terrorist groups operating in Kashmir. So far, Pakistan has done just the opposite, actively supporting the terrorists. But at some point, I hope that the Pakistani leadership will recognize that that strategy is increasingly turning Pakistan into a pariah state.
If and when Pakistan changes its course, and I hope it will soon, they will find a willing negotiating party in India and a supportive friend in the United States. I just hope that we can resume the India-
Pakistan dialogue in the ``spirit of Lahore'' as soon as possible.
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