Beware of Pakistanis coming for nefarious reason: US to India

Lalit K Jha

Washington, May 29 (PTI) India must be wary of those
Pakistanis trying to enter the county for nefarious reasons, a
senior US diplomat said during a first ever web-chat on
popular social networking site -- Facebook.

"India must be wary of those Pakistanis seeking to enter
India for nefarious reasons, but the signal India sent -
openness to a better relationship with peace-loving Pakistanis
-was a powerful psychological message," said Gregg Sullivan,
director of press and public diplomacy for the State
Department's Bureau of South and Central Asia.

"As India engages with Pakistan on levels other than
terrorism and security, it can have a salutary effect on the
entire relationship," Sullivan said in the Facebook web-chat
on Indo-US relations. A copy of the transcripts of the chat on
May 26 was made available Thursday.

The Obama Administration has been increasingly making
use of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to
reach out to people across the globe to spread its message and
views.

India, he said can play a constructive role in the
Afghanistan-Pakistan issue and has already been doing so with
respect to Afghanistan in particular, by undertaking massive
developmental works in that country.

"Obviously, the Indian role in Pakistan is trickier, but
India can be commended for a number of steps it's taken," he
said.

Sillivan said both India and Washington have a common
vision for a peaceful, terrorism free South Asia. "We
recognise that we will have to work together to fulfill that
vision," he said.

Responding to a question on Kashmir, the official said
this is an issue between the Indians and Pakistanis, but it
must take into consideration the "wishes and needs" of the
people of Kashmir.

When specifically asked Obama Administration's reaction
on a military response by India against terrorism in Pakistan,
he said, "The circumstances involved are really important and
could and would change any reaction we would have."

More importantly, the US does not want to see the
resumption of armed conflict between Pakistan and India due to
the grievous harm it would cause to both populations. "This is
why we push for intelligence cooperation as a better solution
so attacks can be prevented before a plan is put into
motion," he said.

The State Department has scheduled a series of web chat
on Facebook in the next few months on various South Asia
countries - Pakistan (June 9 and July 21), Sri Lanka and
Maldives (June 23) and Nepal (July 7). PTI LKJ
RKM
NNNN




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