Analysis: Powell's trip to India

Pakistan says India has been redeploying its troops

By Satish Jacob in Delhi

The US Secretary of State Colin Powell, has told journalists in Delhi that India and Pakistan must resume dialogue to end tension between them.

The purpose of Mr Powell's visit to India and Pakistan was to cool tensions between the two neighbours and urge them to continue their support for America's campaign against terrorism.

But true to form, both countries kept trying to score points over each other and gain diplomatic advantage.

Reports of Mr Powell's description of Kashmir as the central dispute between India and Pakistan dismayed India.

Mr Powell attributed India's disappointment to the use of the definite article.

'Brief' on Kashmir

He told Indian officials that he had described Kashmir as a central issue as opposed to the central issue.

Mr Powell chose to be brief on Kashmir.

Sonia Gandhi told Powell Pakistan was promoting terrorism

He merely said that India and Pakistan should resolve the issue on the basis of dialogue.

Treading a diplomatic tight rope between two traditional foes, Mr Powell said both nations were friends of the United States.

Analysts say Mr Powell's statement that America's campaign would include terrorist activity against India too was intended to pacify Indian misgivings over what India sees as a tilt in US policy towards Pakistan.

Delhi had responded to Mr Powell's earlier remarks in Pakistan with some irritation.

It issued a statement saying that a distinction needed to be made between the cause of the tension, which was cross border terrorism by Pakistan, and the Kashmir dispute which was merely a symptom.

This view is held by most political parties in India.

Opposition support

The opposition leader Sonia Gandhi, who met Mr Powell briefly, also stressed that it was Pakistan's promotion of terrorism in Kashmir which was the fundamental problem.

Knowing that he was treading on delicate issues, Mr Powell chose to concentrate on America's current campaign in Afghanistan.

He said the main objective was to "eradicate" the Al-Qaeda network and to ensure that Afghanistan was no longer a safe haven for terrorists.

Mr Powell said the US President had invited Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to visit Washington in November.

Mr Powell also met the Indian Home Minister, LK Advani and the two signed a treaty which will allow the two countries to exchange information on the activities of terrorists.