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Infiltration across LoC has increased: US

The United States on Thursday said infiltration across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir has 'gone up' since July-end and condemned all acts of terrorism aimed at influencing the 'outcome' of the assembly election in the state.

"Infiltration across the LoC was down in June and July, but since the end of July it has gone up and has been up in August and in September," the US ambassador to India, Robert Blackwill, said.

He said US President George Bush had conveyed to Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf in New York last week that cross-border infiltration across the LoC should end permanently.

Musharraf had given a 'commitment' to the international community to permanently end cross-border infiltration. "We expect infiltration across the LoC to end," the envoy said.

He also lauded the voters in Jammu and Kashmir for the 'extraordinary turnout' in the first phase of polls on September 16.

Blackwill, said 48 per cent of the electorate exercised its franchise despite threats from terrorists and violence in the state.

"This is remarkable. We hope it [the trend] continues. If there is less violence there will be more turnout," he said, while terming some media reports about rigging as 'exaggerated'.

Terming the first phase as 'very positive', he hoped that successful conclusion of the four-phased election in J&K would lead to resumption of the Indo-Pak dialogue within a 'reasonable' timeframe.

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