July 26, 2003	Saturday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 25, 1424

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NEW DELHI, July 25: Pakisan’s links with “terrorism” have not ended, Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha has said, indicating that no meaningful talks with Islamabad were possible under the circumstances, according to an interview published in Dubai’s Khaleej Times newspaper on Friday.

“We believe that Pakistan’s links with terrorism have not ended,” Mr Sinha said, according to a dispatch by the Press Trust of India.

“Since terrorism is not a divisible commodity, it is difficult to imagine how Pakistan can fully cooperate in the global war on terrorism without ending cross-border terrorism against India and dismantling its infrastructure of support in Pakistan,” he said.

The news agency said Mr Sinha also expressed disappointment at the “recent statements by President Pervez Musharraf on Kargil implying that militarism was part of his Kashmir strategy.”

Asked about the possibility of official-level talks with Pakistan during the SAARC Summit in Islamabad, Mr Sinha said it was too early to comment on that.

“Unfortunately infiltration from across the Line of Control and cross-border terrorism from Pakistan continue. There cannot be meaningful dialogue at any level if such attacks continue to take place,” he said.

“We continue to monitor the ground situation vis-a-vis cross- border infiltration and infrastructure of terrorism in Pakistan and ‘Pakistan-occupied Kashmir’ as also Pakistan’s response to the steps taken by us in pursuit of Vajpayee’s peace initiative” he said, adding that further moves will hinge on India’s assessment of the situation.

Commenting on Pakistan’s suggestions for third party mediation on Kashmir, Mr Sinha said: “It has been our experience that third parties bring along their own agenda to the table.”

“India and Pakistan are well conversant with each other’s position and views. We do not need any third party mediation”, he said stressing that the Kashmir issue can be addressed in the framework of the Simla Agreement.