20000309

Clinton's decision to visit Pakistan welcomed in US

WASHINGTON: President Bill Clinton's decision to visit Pakistan later this month as part of his South Asian trip has been warmly welcomed by US legislators, friends of Pakistan and members of the Pakistani-American community.

One community leader told APP, "we are delighted. This is the correct decision and we congratulate the President for having taken it. We wish him luck and hope that his sincere efforts to bring lasting peace to the subcontinent will pay off. We hope that the Kashmir problem which the President himself has identified as posing a danger to the peace of the region will be resolved amicably and to the mutual benefit of the people of India and Pakistan and, above all, the people of Jammu and Kashmir who have struggled so heroically for the vindication of their political rights for over 50 years."

Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota who defeated Sen Larry Pressler in a statement said, "I am pleased that President Clinton has decided to visit Pakistan during his upcoming trip to South Asia. I recently visited Pakistan and met General Pervez Musharraf. We discussed important issues. I also am hopeful that the President's visit can bring both Pakistan and India closer to a resolution of major problem in South Asia Ñ the Kashmir dispute."

Congressman Richard Burton, one of Pakistan's staunchest friends on Capitol Hill said on hearing about the Clinton announcement, "I am pleased that President Clinton has agreed to visit Pakistan: Now, more than ever, Pakistan needs our engagement. Pakistan is a country facing a multitude of challenges, and this trip presents a great opportunity to make progress on issues confronting the region, from controlling the proliferation of dangerous weapons, to resolving the territorial disputes over Kashmir and Punjab. It also affords president Clinton the opportunity to address the problems of India's human rights violations and abuses that have been overlooked for too long by the rest of the world."

Congressman Tom Campbell of California also welcomed the visit. In a statement, he said, the decision by the President shows that the United States supports a de-escalation of tensions in the region between two nuclear powers, particularly over the contentious issue of Kashmir. In recent months, tension between India and Pakistan over Kashmir has reached a level of actual hostilities, and I applaud the President for preserving America's ability to serve a useful mediating rile in this context."

A large number of US legislators and Congressional leaders, including Rep. Campbell, Rep. David E. Bonior, Rep. James P. Moran, Rep. Major R. Owens, Rep. John F. Tierney and Rep. Dale E. Kildee, had written to the President earlier, urging him not to exclude Pakistan and to try to play a role in bring about good relations between India and Pakistan.ÑAPP