U.S. envoy- India, Pakistan ready to make conciliatory gestures

NEW DELHI, India -- The threat of war between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan appeared to lessen further Saturday, with India saying Pakistan was making moves "in the right direction" and Pakistan affirming that "ice has broken." A top U.S. envoy said tensions over the Kashmir region were down "measurably."

Still, cross-border shelling resumed along the cease-fire line that divides the disputed Himalayan region between India and Pakistan, claiming 10 more lives. Three were killed on India's side of the frontier, while Pakistan reported seven dead.

Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, fresh from talks in India and Pakistan, said Saturday that both countries seemed prepared to make conciliatory gestures.

India is considering the return to Pakistan of some recalled diplomats and making "military gestures" to lessen tensions.

"I think you couldn't say the crisis is over, but I think you could say the tensions are down measurably," Armitage told reporters as he arrived in Estonia on a flight from New Delhi.

He said he expected New Delhi to make reciprocal gestures within days to Pakistan's assurances that it will halt cross-border infiltration of the Islamic militants who have waged a violent 12-year insurgency for the independence of Indian Kashmir or its merger with Pakistan.

"It's quite clear that there will be some actions on the part of India responding to the messages I brought" from Pakistan, said Armitage, who met with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf on Thursday and Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Friday.

Armitage stopped in Estonia to consult with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, who was attending a weekend meeting with Baltic and Nordic defense ministers. Rumsfeld is to visit Pakistan and India in a few days to resume the talks.

The Indians "are talking about some diplomatic actions, which could include the return of some people to diplomatic postings in Islamabad and some ratcheting down of some sort of military tension," Armitage said.

"They are going to make, as I understand it, perhaps some military gestures as well, prior to Secretary Rumsfeld's arrival," he said.

Nirupama Rao, spokeswoman for the Indian Foreign Ministry, said that through Armitage, India had responded positively to Musharraf's assurances.

"India welcomes the pledge by President General Pervez Musharraf to permanently end cross-border infiltration of terrorists into Jammu-Kashmir," Rao said. "This is a step forward and in the right direction."

Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh conveyed similar sentiments to Secretary of State Colin Powell during a phone call Saturday, Rao said. Powell also spoke with Musharraf on Saturday, the State Department said.

Singh told Powell that India would carefully assess how Musharraf's promise was carried out and "respond appropriately and positively," she said.

In Pakistan, Information Minister Nisar Memon said it seems "the ice has broken and due to the efforts of our friends, India has started understanding our position."

In response to Armitage's comments, Memon said he hoped India would agree to resume dialogue with Pakistan on all issues, "including the core issue of Kashmir."