18 May 2002

PAK HIGH COMMISSIONER TOLD TO LEAVE INDIA

From Jal Khambata

NEW DELHI: India began the diplomatic crackdown on Pakistan with the first shot fired at its High Commissioner Ashraf Jehangir Qazi by asking the Pak High Commission that he is persona non grata and should leave Delhi within a week. Pakistan's continuous support to cross-border terrorism was cited as the reason for giving the marching orders to Qazi with whom India had stopped dealing ever since December 13 terrorist strike on the Indian Parliament house.

The Vajpayee Government had recalled Vijay Nambiar, the Indian High Commissioner from Islamabad as one of the multiple steps taken after the December 13 terrorist strike and had been dealing with only Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner Jallel Abbas Jilani who was called to the External Affairs Ministry and conveyed the Government's decision that Qazi should return to Pakistan..

While Pakistan had reciprocated to the multiple steps taken by India last December, Qazi had continued to head the Pakistan High Commission here and he as well as his two daughters could be seen attending the elite meetings in clubs and five-star hotels. He had no official business in India and hence he should better return to Pakistan, the External Affairs Ministry conveyed to the Deputy High Commission on Saturday.

The decision to order Qazi's exit from Delhi was taken by the 2-hour long Cabinet Committee on Security held Saturday morning under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to review the latest situation of the border skirmishes that are going on since after the terrorist attack near Jammu killing 22 people on Tuesday.

Besides the CCS members, the meeting was also attended by National Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra, Cabinet Secretary T R Prasad and Chiefs of three services, Gen S Padmanabhan, Air Chief Marshal S Krishnaswamy and Admiral Madhvendra Singh. Earlier, the Prime Minister paid a visit to the Operation Room in he Army Headquarters where the Defence Minister, Army chief and Air chief briefed him for some 45 minutes about the situation on the border.

India accused Pakistan on Saturday of continuing to aid and abet cross-border terrorism and infiltration of terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country, compelling it to give the marching orders to Qazi.

Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner Jilani was conveyed India's decision that Qazi should "return to Islamabad within a week" by External Affairs Joint Secretary Arun Singh soon after the CCS felt Qazi should leave for the sake of "parity" as India had already recalled its High Commissioner from Islamabad since after December 13 attack on the Parliament House.

"This is a significant step and Government of India has, after a detailed examination of the situation, decided on this measure," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Nirupama Rao said.

"We have seen no dimunition whatsoever in Pakistan's support for terrorism. The figures of infiltration continue to be high. We have received reports of training camps for terrorists continuing to flourish in Pakistani territory and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK)," the spokesperson told reporters here.

Immediately after the 2-hour long CCS meeting, Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh had said that the government had decided that Qazi "be required to return to Islamabad." He said no time-frame has been Qazi's return but once notified he should better leave India immediately. It was, however, clarified later that he was given a week's time to pack off alongwith his family.

Pakistan termed as "disappointing" India's decision and said it was recalling Qazi but maintained that it would work for de-escalation of tension and complete normalisation of relations between the two countries.

In an interview to Pakistan Government-run PTV from here, Qazi said his expulsion by India would not have any positive impact on the bilateral relations. He said he would leave the country respecting the sovereign right of India to take "wise or unwise" decisions. "It is unfortunate step. Obviously it will not have positive impact on the state of relations. But it falls within the sovereign right of India to take any step whether wise or unwise and we actually respect the decision. I am expected to return within a week", he added.

In a related development, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has withdrawn all military personnel, including top generals, from the civilian duties with immediate effect, ordering them to report to the Army Headquarters, according to Pakistani news agency NNN.

"All the military officials ranking from Major General and down, working with the civilian departments since October 1999 and otherwise should immediately report to the GHQ, Rawalpindi for further orders," the notification issued on Friday said.

NNN quoted officials state that "all the uniformed officials including NCOs, JCOs and top level from Lieutenant to Major General, have been directed to report immediately as the military command need them to be posted in the wake of the threats of the Indian leadership."

The move to recall all its officers doing the civil duty was significant as according to the media reports over "600 serving or retired army officials held various top political and administrative posts in the country after the military took over power in a coup in October, 1999," NNN said.

Reports also say Vice Chief of the Army Staff, Gen. Muhammad Yousuf Khan, has visited the forward defence locations in Bahawlpur sector in Pakistan's Punjab province to inspect the country's defence preparedness. END