September 24, 2002	Tuesday	Rajab 16, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 23: Pakistan has conveyed to the United States its displeasure at a recently reported TV interview of the US ambassador in New Delhi, quoting him as saying that Islamabad had increased infiltration of militants through the Line of Control (LoC) into the held Jammu and Kashmir during the last several months and rejected the ambassador’s utterance.

The foreign office spokesman, Aziz Ahmad Khan, was asked at his press briefing here on Monday, for Pakistan’s comments on a New Delhi report of last week saying that the US ambassador in the Indian capital, who had returned from a visit to Washington, had called four TV representatives for an interview wherein he reportedly made the statement which ran counter to Pakistan’s repeated assertions made at the highest level that Pakistan was not pushing infiltrators across the LoC.

The spokesman rebutting the remarks, said he (the US ambassador) was “obviously influenced by Indian propaganda he is surrounded by that propaganda and seemed to lose wider perspective”. However, the spokesman observed, he would not suggest that the US ambassador was motivated.

Mr Khan recalled repeated assurances made by President Pervez Musharraf against LoC infiltration from Pakistan side which had been internationally acknowledged. Moreover, the spokesman said, Pakistan had offered time and again international monitoring of the LoC.

Asked whether President Musharraf’s recent statements expressing loss of hope of any success in bilateral efforts to bring India round to hold talks with Pakistan with a view to defusing persisting stand-off on borders and the Kashmir issue, amounted to abandoning bilateral moves to smooth out problems with New Delhi, the spokesman observed Islamabad had not rejected bilateral efforts in inter-state issues with India.

The spokesman explained the context of President’s remarks, saying it sought to break log lull by suggesting other means such as third-party mediation, international or regional involvement to resolve serious issues which threatened peace not only between the two countries but of the whole region.

Asked for his response to Indian prime minister’s reported statement asking for a change of the venue of the next Saarc summit from Islamabad to any other member country’s capital, the spokesman said Pakistan believed in acting in accordance with the law and charter of the Saarc and would insist on holding the summit here as decided at the last Saarc summit.

He said the next summit would be held in Islamabad and on schedule and its precise dates were being finalized. It was hoped that all Saarc member states who wanted to contribute to the success of the regional development forum would take part in its deliberations, Mr Khan observed.

Reference to a reported Indian premier’s suggestion that Saarc members be involved in ironing out difference among its members, the spokesman said according to the Saarc charter, any such suggestion or recommendation should be mooted at a formal Saarc meeting and could be decided with the consensus of its member-states.