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US senators confident of improvement in Indo-Pak relations

A nine-member bipartisan United States Senate delegation, led by Republican Senator John McCain, on Tuesday discussed the Indo-Pak tensions with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and later said that the steps to curb terrorism, to be announced shortly by Musharraf, would change the course of relations between the two countries.

Addressing the media after the meeting with Musharraf in Islamabad, Senator McCain said, "The steps Musharraf is going to announce, we feel, will change the history of Pak-India relations. This would help reducing tensions between the two countries."

McCain, who was accompanied by senior Democrat senator and vice presidential candidate in the last American elections, Joseph Lieberman said, "Both India and Pakistan are our friends and we are particularly hopeful that troops would move away from both sides of the borders."

"After meeting with President Musharraf, we are convinced that he is committed to eliminate terrorism and establish a tolerant and moderate society in Pakistan," he said adding that Musharraf planned to address the Pakistani people on the issue of terrorism in the next few days.

Asked about India's decision not to hold talks with Pakistan in the immediate future, McCain said "I hope Indian leadership will listen carefully the words of President Musharraf and find something, sit down and start negotiations with Pakistan."

Senator Liberman said Musharraf has taken certain steps to combat terrorism and he was hopeful that further measures to be announced would help in the long term.

"The steps would help in defusing the situation prevailing in the region besides eliminating terrorism," he said.

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