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Pakistan hopes for greater US interest in South Asia

Tariq Butt writes from Islamabad
Pakistani officials are hoping that US interest in South Asia to resolve longstanding issues, including Kashmir, will increase as a result of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs meeting with President Bill Clinton in New York.
"If Washington had taken one per cent interest in South Asia as compared to its interest in Middle East, all the outstanding issues particularly between Pakistan and India would have been resolved long X." Sharif was quoted by one
cial as telling Clinton.
The US President sounded positive by saying that the American focus on South Asia will increase much beyond the request of the Prime Minister and he would personally make It sure by taking practical steps." the official said.
President Clinton is expected to visit Pakistan and India in the first quarter of the next year and Pakistani officials are claiming that "his focus will be on issues outstanding between the two South Asian cdtintHeb/ particularly Kabhrnfr.l^w pr.i, So’: u According to them, issues that came up for discussion during the 35-minute Sharif-Clin-
ton meeting were the Kashmir dispute, non-delivery of 28 F-16 aircraft for which Pakistan paid long ago, nuclear nonproliferation in South Asia. UN reforms and overall Pakistani-US relations.
As Pakistan has been urging during its officials' meetings with their American counterparts over the past many years that Washington should mediate over Kashmir, Sharif also did the same during his meeting with Clinton. But the US President said Washington cannot intervene in the matter unless both the countries agree to Washington's mediatory role.
The Prime Minister, the official said, informed Clinton how India had "backtracked" on agreements reached in the second round of Foreign Secretaries talks between the two countries.
Officials said President Clinton, who has personally put his authority behind the continuation of dialogue between Pakistan and India on earlier occasions, took the opportunity to do the same again during his first ever meeting with Sharif. He reaffirmed his commitment to peace and security In South Asia and urged the
continuation of the current dialogue between Pakistan and India.
Mr. Sharif stressed that it was essential to review or scrap the Pakistan-specific discriminatory Pressler Law, which had imposed sanctions against Pakistan and blocked the delivery of F-16 aircraft. "It would help put back on track the relations between the two countries." Sharif is reported to have said.
The official said Clinton assured Sharif that the F-16 Issue would be sorted out. However, the assurances fell short of Pakistan's stand that either the planes should be delivered or the money paid by Pakistan returned.
The Sharif-Clinton meeting also delved into other areas of cooperation, including economic, for which the Prime Minister urged the President to persuade American businesses to take advantage of the investment-friendly climate created by his government in Pakistan. Clinton assured that he -■would urge Americanrbusi-
— India Abroad News Service