India to ask Holbrooke to stop US military aid to Pak
India to ask Holbrooke to stop US military aid to Pak
Indian wants Pakistan's terror infrastructure dismantled.

New Delhi: India is likely to ask the United States of America to stop military funding to Pakistan.

India's strong stand that there can be no half measures in fighting terrorism from Pakistan will be conveyed to visiting US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke on Monday.

The view on New Delhi is that pressure on Islamabad to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism must be stepped up and military aid also stopped.

These messages are expected to be spelt out in detail during Holbrooke's meetings with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and National Security Adviser MK Narayanan.

Holbrooke, who arrived in New Delhi on Sunday, is expected to brief Indian leaders on his visit to Pakistan and his talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Indian leaders will want to know what plans the Obama Administration has for involving New Delhi in stabilising Afghanistan and Pakistan in the backdrop of Mumbai terror attacks.

Holbrooke is visiting the region to study the latest situation to enable Washington to shape its policy towards these two countries.

The US has made it clear that Kashmir is not on the agenda of Holbrooke's visit and would not be discussed, allaying concerns initially here that the US could try mediation between India and Pakistan on the issue.

On asked then why Holbrooke was going to New Delhi, US State Department spokesman Robert Wood was quoted by PTI as saying, "India is an important country in the region and has interest in Afghanistan."

Describing the nature of Holbrooke's trip to South Asia, Wood said, "In essence this is an orientation trip. He's not carrying any messages to any of these governments from either the Secretary (of State) or the (US) President. He's not going there to lecture. He's going there to listen."

Holbrooke would report to the Secretary of State and the US President once he is back from the region.

(With inputs from PTI)

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