US will help find ways to end tension, says Rocca

A Pakistan Foreign Ministry statement said during the talks, Musharraf welcomed the continued US engagement to reduce the tension and called for immediate de-escalation and return of troops of both the countries to peace time locations, folllowed by resumption of dialogue.

On whether her visit had brought India and Pakistan close to war or peace, Rocca said the US was urging both sides to reduce tension. ‘‘I do not want to characterise that way. It is a situation in which we continue to urge both sides to reduce the rhetoric. I do not think this is the work of one trip. I think this is working progress,’’ she said.

Rocca also called for resumption of dialogue. ‘‘The issue of dialogue is one we have been talking about and we have been encouraging since very beginning. Ultimately it is our position that nothing could be resolved without dialogue,’’ Rocca said.

Speaking to The Indian Express before she left for Islamabad, Rocca said: ‘‘My current mission to reduce tensions between India and Pakistan is a separate issue from our campaign in Afghanistan.’’

On the attacks in J&K, she said that ‘‘terrorism is terrorism is terrorism and terrorism against any country is part of the war on terror.’’ She added that ‘‘terrorism against any country is unacceptable, including India.’’

Even what is happening in Kashmir? ‘‘Of course, even Kashmir,’’ said Rocca.

In New Delhi, the Government sees the Indo-Pakistan tensions and the military deployments on the border as part of its campaign to fight cross-border terrorism. MEA spokesperson Nirupama Rao said today, the world knows ‘‘where the responsibility of escalation of tensions lies. We are unflinching in our opposition to terrorism. That Pakistan hasn’t responded to demands has created the kind of situation that we see today’’.

However, earlier, Rocca had drawn a distinction between the war against terror and the Indo-Pak border stand-off. ‘‘It’s a very complicated issue, it’s not black and white,’’ she said.

She said that Washington’s chief concern at the moment is to stop the two nations from going to war. ‘‘We are worried about the continued mobilisation of both armies facing each other in close proximity and the threat posed by a spark that could lead to unintended conflict’’.

According to sources, the message for New Delhi is two-fold, that the ‘‘US has zero tolerance on terrorism’’ but India must not use that to go to war with Pakistan. Rocca clarified that the US had ‘‘India and Pakistan to thank for their cooperation’’ in the war against terror in Afghanistan but current tensions are certainly not something that are welcome.

Sources point out that New Delhi’s reaction to US is that ‘‘what we are seeing on the ground is that Musharraf is doing nothing.’’ Sources said that in her meetings with officials, New Delhi reminded Rocca that ‘‘even on Afghanistan, Musharraf was acting under pressure and that, too, partially’’.

(With PTI in Islamabad)