ISLAMABAD, Aug 23: The US Deputy Secretary Richard Armitage’s second visit to the region in less than three months is seen here as a test of the American government’s pledge to bring India to the negotiating table to address the core issue of Kashmir with Pakistan.

“It is time for the Americans to live up to their commitment of bringing India to the negotiating table after Pakistan has fulfilled its promise of checking cross-border infiltration and dismantling militant camps,” remarked a foreign policy expert.

Armitage arrives here on Saturday (Aug 24) from New Delhi, as a follow up of his previous visit to the region, as well as US Secretary of State Colin Powell’s recent peace mission to Islamabad and New Delhi.

US State Department’s deputy spokesman, announcing the trip earlier this month, said that Armitage would review both sides’ efforts to further de-escalate the conflict, “continuing to see that both sides live up to the commitments they have made, and to see a continuing defusion of tensions there.” The spokesman said the deputy secretary will also discuss “initiatives to expand US bilateral relations with both sides.

“It is a difficult mission with a minimal purpose that the situation in South Asia does not relapse to the May-June tension level when Pakistan and India were on the brink of a nuclear war,” said a well-informed source.

Foreign affairs analysts in Pakistan believe that the latest mission is a test case for Armitage to persuade Indians to do more. “We have to see what commitments he is able to elicit from the Indians. Having assumed the role of facilitators the Americans have to now deliver on getting India to start dialogue with Pakistan, specially on the Kashmir issue,” they say.

“Unlike Powell’s last-minute visit to the two countries Armitage’s visit to the region has been well-planned,” pointed out a former diplomat.

During his last visit to Pakistan in June, Armitage had secured assurances from Islamabad on putting an end to cross- border infiltration on clear understanding that the US would convince Indians to resume talks with Pakistan on all key issues including the Kashmir dispute.

However, political observers in Pakistan believe that even though Pakistan gave a “big strategic concession”, the Americans have failed to honour their commitment to resume dialogue.

Indian complaints against the US have been seen as nothing but an excuse to ward off the American demands that India allow international observers for the elections in held Kashmir and release all political prisoners prior to the polls.

The Indian Foreign Minister, Yashwant Sinha, emphatically ruled out talks with his Pakistani counterpart on the sidelines of the Saarc foreign ministers’ conference in Kathmandu this week. The latest sign of India’s hostile posturing is the statement by Defence Minister George Fernandes that Indian troops may stay on the borders beyond October.

Although the Americans privately recognize that there is no possibility of talks between the two countries until after the October elections in held Kashmir, there is a persisting concern in Washington that tension between the two countries, which had eased considerably after Armitage’s visit in June, could escalate again. Hence, the US strategy is to keep the pressure on to avert a pre-June war-like situation.

Political observers think it is unlikely that Armitage would bring any fresh proposals. They believe his mission would primarily be a continuation of his last visit.