By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Denying any rift or complications in postponing his trip to India, US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke has said he would be going back to New Delhi by mid-August.
“There were no complications. I have three or four people in India who are my main policy interlocutors. All but one of them were going to be out of the country,” he said Wednesday briefing reporters on his trip to Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Brussels.
Holbrooke also made clear that Kashmir issue was not on his plate and that Pakistan had provided him no credible evidence of India’s alleged involvement in Balochistan though the issue did come up in his discussions in Islamabad.
“That issue is outside my area of ability to discuss,” he said when asked to what extent the resolution of Kashmir issue will help him in achieving the US goal to dismantle, disrupt, and defeat Al Qaeda and Taliban.
“I would be misleading if I said it didn’t come up, but the narrow answer to your question is no,” he said when asked whether Pakistani leaders had given him any credible evidence of India’s alleged involvement in Balochistan.
Holbrooke, who was scheduled to visit India just after the visit of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, said they got to know about it when “we were in the air” en route to Pakistan.
“So, but I’m going to go back in mid-August. And within the limits of Indian independence (Aug 15), they — I would — they all are looking forward to my coming.”
Asked if there was a rift between him and India that led to the postponement of his visit, he said: “If there’s a rift between me and India, it would be the first rift between me and India since I was seven years old.
“You know, India was the first country in the world I was ever aware of. I have a very special feeling for it,” Holbrooke said. “And if there’s a rift, you’ll have to ask the Indians. I didn’t see any rift.
“The four people I usually see, all but one of them were out of the country. I talked to the Indians on the phone. (Assistant Secretary of State) Bob Blake was there with the Secretary of State. Bob Blake had some talks which were very helpful. There’s no issue here.”