India awaits Clinton's visit to understand US policy on Pak

New Delhi, June 3 (PTI) US Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton is expected to be here on July 20 when India hopes to
get an understanding of the Obama Administration's position on
Pakistan and other issues of key concern to India.

The two-day visit of Clinton is being accorded "special
importance" by India since it will be the first detailed
interaction with a top-level member of the new Administration
although Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Obama met
for a general exchange of views in London on the sidelines of
the G-20 summit in April.

After an excellent phase in the bilateral ties during the
tenure of President George W Bush, there are concerns here
with regard to the new Administration's approach on Pakistan
which is seen as being pampered with both military and
non-military aid in the name of fighting terror.

"We have yet to strike a constructive relationship with
the Obama Administration and we want to fathom where it stands
with regard to India when the Secretary of State is here," a
highly-placed source said.

There are apprehensions here that Clinton's agenda may
include pressing India to resume the composite dialogue with
Pakistan although New Delhi has made it clear that it may not
not do so till the perpetrators of Mumbai attack were brought
to justice.

In fact, India anticipates growing international pressure
to engage with Pakistan in a bid to break the logjam in
bilateral ties after the suspension of the dialogue
post-26/11.

The sources said that while India was not in a position
to say that it was ready to talk to Pakistan now, it may
undertake a review of its no-dialogue stance so that it is not
not seen to be rigid.

Such a review will be encouraged if global powers push
Pakistan to show seriousness of approach in dealing with those
behind the Mumbai attack. The release of Jamaat-Ud-Dawa chief
Hafiz Mohammed Sayeed by the Lahore High Court yesterday is
not not seen as a positive development in this regard.

Multiciplicity of power centres in Pakistan such as
Presidency, Prime Minister and the Army chief Ashfaq Kayani
does not not make the task of resumption of dialogue with that
country any easier. But New Delhi is weighing various options.

Clinton's visit will be preceded by that of
Under-Secretary of State William Burns on June 10 during which
it would be pointed out to him that Pakistan was not not doing
enough to dismantle terror infrastructure which affects India.

New Delhi feels that Pakistan's war against Taliban has
left untouched groups directly hurting India like
Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. PTI MKR