Sharief attacks India at Clinton meeting

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharief played true to form and attacked India during his meeting with US President Bill Clinton in New York on Monday.

Sharief briefed the president on the ''status'' of the Indo-Pak dialogue and the problems that have arisen as a result of India's ''backtracking on commitments made at the June meeting of the foreign secretaries of the two countries, particularly on the Kashmir issue,'' a Pakistani spokesman said.

Sharief also drew the president's attention to human rights abuses by Indian security forces in Kashmir and wanted the international community to do something to stop ''these atrocities.''

Clinton told the prime minister he was looking forward to his visit to Pakistan early next year. Both leaders noted with satisfaction that Pakistan and the US enjoyed a long-standing friendship and agreed to take fresh steps to translate this relationship into mutually beneficial co-operation in diverse areas, particularly in trade.

The premier also briefed the president about his government's agenda to revitalise the economy and the process of consolidation of democratic institutions in Pakistan. Sharief asked Clinton to encourage not only international financial institutions but also American entrepreneurs to take advantage of the vast opportunities provided by his government for investment and trade.

Sharief also conveyed to Clinton Pakistan's concern about the delay in the resolution of the F-16 issue. He said the prime minister reminded the president of his remarks that ''Pakistan has been treated unfairly and that it was wrong to keep both the money and planes'' Islamabad had paid for before 1990. Clinton said he would continue his effort to resolve the dispute.

The meeting lasted about 35 minutes during which Clinton was assisted by Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, National Security Advisor Sandy Berger and two senior aides from the state department, Thomas Pickering and Karl Inderfurth. Sharief was accompanied by Foreign Minister Gohar Ayub Khan, the prime minister's principal secretary Anwar Zahid, Foreign Secretary Shamshad Ahmed and Ambassador Riaz Khokhar.

Before his meeting with Prime Minister I K Gujral and Sharief, Clinton hoped the two South Asian neighbours would settle their differences in the 50th year of their independence. He did not directly mention it, but it was obvious that he was referring to the Kashmir issue.

In his address to the UN general assembly, the president wished the ''two great nations'', India and Pakistan, resolved the main dispute between them ''as they celebrate 50th anniversaries of their independence.''

The other issue of relevance to India in Clinton's speech was the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which India has refused to sign for being discriminatory. The president said he was taking the CTBT resolution to the US Senate for ratification.