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CNN Live Sunday

Secretary Powell En Route to Pakistan

Aired October 14, 2001 - 15:16   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's bring our viewers now up-to-date on Secretary of State Colin Powell. He is en route to Pakistan today. His mission is to boost relations with that country. Also to thank it's leaders for cooperating with operation Enduring Freedom.

The secretary of state also plans to visit New Delhi, India. That is an effort to ease the growing tensions between Pakistan and India. Our Christiane Amanpour has this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTIAN AMANPOUR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's visit to Pakistan is unlikely to change the daily pattern of demonstrations. This one, outside the city of Jacobabad, the location of one of two military bases used by U.S. forces.

Pakistan says there bases will not be used for U.S. combat operations against Afghanistan, just for search and rescue missions.

Pakistan called Powell's trip an important visit at a very important time. It wants an assessment of the war so far.

ABDUL SATTAR, PAKISTANI FOREIGN MINISTER: We would like to hear from him what's the prognosis, how long is this operation going to go on? Do we see light at the end of the tunnel? And what is it that needs to be done in order to bring this operation to a close?

AMANPOUR: Sattar says Pakistan will also tell Powell that civilian casualties will inflame public opinion here and in the region.

Perhaps, as important as conducting the war in Afghanistan, preventing war between Pakistan and India over the disputed region of Kashmir.

The U.S. administration has been worried about provocative rhetoric coming from India, and Pakistan's president has publicly warned off his nuclear neighbor.

PRESIDENT PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, PAKISTAN: We know how to defend ourselves. We have the power to defend ourselves. And let there be no illusions about this from across the border at all whatsoever. AMANPOUR: Under U.S. pressure, India and Pakistan have now cooled down the rhetoric. President Musharraf has called the Indian prime minister to suggest restarting peace talks on Kashmir.

But the leader of the main Kashmiri independence party says the two sides will never reach agreement on their own without the intervention of, quote, "a very powerful third party."

AMANULLAH KHAN, CHAIRMAN, KLE: This entire area, India, Pakistan, Kashmir, Bangladesh, the whole area will have a very peaceful and prosperous future. And if you don't solve this issue, God forbid, the entire area may fall into an atomic war.

AMANPOUR: Concerning the current campaign against terrorism, Pakistan expects to hear from Powell about those Pakistani groups that have been put on the new U.S. terrorist watch list, and Pakistan wants to make sure that the United States takes it's views into account when it makes a future political arrangement for Afghanistan, and it also wants to insure that the U.S. support for Pakistan will continue beyond this current war.

Christiane Amanpour, CNN, Islamabad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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