India's Congress seeks to pressure Pakistan on militants

HYDERABAD, India, Jan 22 (Reuters) - India's ruling Congress party said on Sunday it was committed to making peace with the country's arch rival Pakistan and urged the government to pressure Islamabad to curb anti-Indian Islamist militants.

A two-year peace process between the nuclear-armed neighbours has been buffeted by Pakistan's impatience over the pace of conflict resolution and India's charge that Islamabad continues to support guerrillas fighting its rule in Kashmir.

"Congress continues to have serious concerns about terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan," the party said in a draft resolution at a party convention in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad.

"Pakistan must now dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism completely to fulfil its solemn commitment," it said.

Although militant violence may have reduced in numbers since the neighbours launched moves to make peace it had not reduced in intensity, the party said.

"It (Congress) urges the government to press (Pakistani) President (Pervez) Musharraf to deliver on his promise that Pakistan would not allow territory controlled by it to be used for heinous acts of violence against India," the resolution said.

The Congress's call came days after top diplomats of the two countries held talks in New Delhi and pledged to push the peace process forward.

The officials, however, differed on ways to resolve the longstanding territorial dispute over the Himalayan region of Kashmir, at the heart of nearly 60 years of enmity.

Both countries claim Kashmir in full but rule it in parts. India accuses Pakistan of supporting a 16-year revolt against its rule in Indian Kashmir which has so far killed tens of thousands.

Pakistan denies it supports the revolt. It says it has done all it could to curb militants and violence would end only if New Delhi cuts troop levels in Kashmir and moves to resolve the dispute.