Vajpayee rules out talks with Pakistan

Vajpayee said more civilians are being killed in Kashmir

NEW DELHI, India -- Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has temporarily ruled out talks with Pakistan, citing an unfavorable political climate due to escalating violence in Indian-controlled Kashmir, local media reported.

"There is no conducive atmosphere for talks and till a proper climate is created, there can be no talks," Vajpayee was quoted by the Hindustan Times as he was leaving Moscow for Washington where he will meet with U.S. President George W. Bush.

Vajpayee argued that talking with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf at this point would be inappropriate due to the escalating violence along the Muslim-dominated territory of Kashmir in the recent weeks.

Fresh violence erupted in Kashmir on Thursday after Muslim militants threw a grenade in a crowded street in Srinigar, killing a woman and wounding five people, including a one-year-old baby, Reuters news agency reported.

Both countries have supported the U.S.-led anti-terror campaign.

The nuclear rivals have been pressured by the international community to contain tension over the disputed region of Kashmir.

MORE STORIES Kashmir: Where conflict rules  Tensions between India and Pakistan   ÊCNN.com Asia More news from our Asia edition Ê

A series of leaders including British Prime Minister Tony Blair and U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell have visited the subcontinent recently to urge restraint between India and Pakistan.

But India continues to lash out at Pakistan, accusing it of supporting Muslim separatist rebels who have been fighting its rule in the Himalayan region since late 1989.

Recently, India has demanded Pakistan to stop proving material support guerrillas, but Pakistan said it merely offers them moral guidance.

More than 30,000 people have been killed in the 12-year insurgency in Kashmir, which resulted in India and Pakistan going to war twice over the territory.

Renew plea for talks

Vajpayee has also dismissed speculation about meeting Musharraf during the U.N. General Assembly session in New York, which will take place this week.

Musharraf is also due to address the assembly and is scheduled to meet separately with Bush and U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan.

But observers noted the Bush administration is likely to reiterate its request for Indo-Pakistan talks.

Vajpayee and Musharraf held a summit in the north Indian city of Agra in July, but it ended in stalemate.

Observers also noted that Vajpayee is likely to show Bush evidence linking terrorists being pursued in Afghanistan with the militants attacking Kashmir.

India has also sought to widen the global war on terrorism to include the rebels in Kashmir.