Senior U.S. administration officials on Thursday renewed an appeal for Indo-Pak dialogue on Kashmir. It, however, asked Pakistan military ruler General Pervez Musharraf to make it possible, by showing restraint, renouncing violence and using his influence over the militants. They said the U.S. was certainly aware of the concerns of the Indian government about the level of violence in Kashmir and it is something that we have raised directly with the authorities in Pakistan. They said while the dialogue should begin, the U.S. also wants that more positive conditions on the ground must be created. One will have to be realistic in assessing the situation, They said, to see if there is movement in the right direction. The officials said that president Clinton would like to hear in person prime minister Vajpayee's assessment of the situation, and how he thinks he is going to move forward. He has taken some significant political risks over the last several years, going to Lahore, exercising restraint on a number of occasions. The President will want to encourage him in what he has done and probably share with him some of his thoughts. Bureau Report