NEW DELHI/SRINAGAR, 28 July — External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha yesterday ruled out an early resumption of dialogue with Pakistan over Kashmir, after holding talks here with US Secretary of State Colin Powell.
Asked by reporters if India was ready for dialogue with Pakistan, Yashwant replied: “India is always ready for dialogue (but) we do not think the necessary conditions exist.”
The two men went into talks immediately after Powell touched down in the evening at the start of a lightning trip to the region to defuse fresh tension between the South Asian rivals.
The two countries have had some one million troops deployed along their common borders since a December attack on the Parliament. En route to South Asia, Powell lowered expectations for the mission: “I’m not expecting a breakthrough yet of the kind we saw a month ago.”
“Breakthrough is not the word,” he said. “I just want to make sure we’re not stopped and I want to see what both sides might be able to do to (continue) going down the escalatory ladder.”
A June trip by Powell’s deputy, Richard Armitage, led India to lift diplomatic sanctions imposed on Pakistan a month earlier. But a July 13 massacre of 28 slum-dwellers in Kashmir abruptly set back US hopes for further de-escalation.
On his way to the region Powell also said he would be seeking Indian assurance that state assembly elections in Kashmir slated for October would be free, fair, open and, just as importantly, observed by international monitors.
The presence of observers “will help the Indians show the international community, the world that it is a free, open, fair election,” Powell said.
At the same time, Powell said he would be telling the Pakistanis to prevent militant attacks in the region during the as-yet unscheduled polls.
However, Yashwant ruled out the possibility of allowing in international observers.
“We have a very independent Election Commission we are very proud of our record of elections in this country and I can assure you that with all this in place, elections in (Kashmir) will be very free and fair.”
He added that India would welcome people “as individuals” visiting the disputed state during the poll.
Powell made no comments after his meeting with Yashwant, apart from offering his condolences over the death of Vice President Krishan Kant.
Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged fire in Kashmir yesterday hours before Powell was due in the region, officials said.
Eight people were killed in violence inside Kashmir, including four civilians killed by grenade explosions.
