September 26, 2002	Thursday	Rajab 18, 1423

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WASHINGTON, Sept 25: The United States expressed its support for the state elections in the Indian-held Kashmir when Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Inamul Haq met US officials in Washington earlier this week; US and Pakistani officials told Dawn on Wednesday.

“The two sides also discussed US support for free and fair elections in Kashmir,” said a State Department official while commenting on Haq’s meetings with Secretary of State Colin Powell and Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage in Washington on Tuesday.

“The United States believes that the state elections will be free of interference,” the official added.

“Mr Armitage raised this issue during the talks,” said a senior Pakistani diplomat. Armitage, according to him, said India would resume bilateral talks with Pakistan if Islamabad accepted the state elections.

“We reminded him that the Indian foreign secretary has already rejected this idea, saying that bilateral talks are not linked to the elections in Kashmir,” the diplomat said.