Delhi firm on condition for talks

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, FEB. 5. India today reiterated that Pakistan should terminate cross-border terrorism and stop hostile anti-India propaganda to revive the stalled dialogue between the two countries and ruled out third party mediation to resolve the Kashmir issue.

``Our position (on talks with Pakistan) remains unchanged,'' the foreign office spokesman said here to questions on the remarks by Gen. Musharraf during a meeting in Muzaffarabad today and in an interview to Pakistan Television yesterday.

Gen. Musharraf had expressed his readiness for a dialogue with India on the Kashmir issue and claimed that no other dispute existed between the two countries.

``We are not surprised by these kind of comments. We have always been the initiators of any dialogue. We have maintained the position that Pakistan has to create the right atmosphere, which includes the cessation of hostile propaganda against India,'' the spokesman said.

He asserted that there was no role for any third party in resolving Indo-Pak. differences, when asked to comment on remarks by Mr. Clinton that Washington was prepared to work towards restarting the stalled Indo-Pak. dialogue.

The spokesman, however, stressed that the differences over Kashmir must be directly resolved by India and Pakistan.

India's stand on this issue had been clarified in the past by the Prime Minister, Mr. A.B. Vajpayee, and the External Affairs Minister, Mr. Jaswant Singh, several times. On the possibility of Mr. Clinton's visit to Pakistan, he said it would not be appropriate for him to comment.

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