Washington,Sept 24: US Secretary of State Colin Powell has held talks with Pakistani foreign minister Inamul Haq which covered all aspects of common US-Pak interests in "critical areas", including tension between India and Pakistan. Elections in Jammu and Kashmir and US assessment that infiltration in Kashmir from across the border has increased in the recent past, is also understood to have come up during the meeting.
"Pakistan is a key ally in the war against terrorism and President Musharraf has denounced extremism and vowed to prevent the use of Pakistan as a base for terrorists," a State Department official said on condition of anonymity.
US support for Pakistan's efforts to combat extremism and reduce tension between India and Pakistan also figured during the talks. The parleys follow a recent meeting between President George W Bush and President Pervez Musharraf on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Haq is also expected to meet National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice and Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage later in the day. Bureau Report