December 20, 2002	Friday	Shawwal 15, 1423

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NEW DELHI, Dec 19: Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha expressed unhappiness on Thursday over what is beginning to be seen by New Delhi as a less than enthusiastic approach by the United States to persuade Pakistan to clamp down on extremist groups it claims are operating in Kashmir with Islamabad’s help.

Junior Minister for External Affairs Digvijay Singh, meanwhile, clarified that India had not asked any country to declare Pakistan a terrorist state despite New Delhi’s concerns with Islamabad on this score.

“Asserting that cross-border terrorism was still continuing despite assurance by Pakistan that it would stop encouraging it,” Press Trust of India quoted Mr Sinha as telling parliament that he was not satisfied with the pressure being put by the international community on Islamabad.

Responding to persistent questioning by the MPs in the Rajya Sabha, Mr Sinha said if the United States exerted sufficient pressure on Pakistan, it would desist it from indulging in “cross-border terrorism”.

“He said that although infiltration has decreased by 30 per cent, cross-border terrorism is continuing despite clear announcement and assertion by Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf,” PTI said.

Asked to explain the situation regarding the elusive dialogue with Islamabad, Mr Sinha was quoted as saying that New Delhi “insisted on the condition that cross-border terrorism has to be brought to an end before any meaningful dialogue is started”.