20 May 2002
WAR RHETORIC CONTINUES FROM
BOTH SIDES
From Jal Khambata
NEW
DELHI: Monday was a day of war rhetorics from both India and Pakistan
as Delhi vowed to take all necessary steps to defend against
cross-border terrorism and Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani talked of
new tactics of retaliation while Islamabad sought the world
community's help to convince India to see reason to end tension
through talks.
The defence analysts in India, however, see the
possibility that India may ultimately mount in less than a fortnight
an attack on Pakistan in its part of Jammu and Kashmir to destroy the
terrorist training camps and simultaneously used the Naval might to
engage Pakistan on the other side to deflect its concentration on the
Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Indian
missions abroad have been already briefed to convey to their host
countries' governments about India's concern at the cross-border
terrorism being continued by Pakistan despite its repeated claims to
be a partner in the war against terrorism launched after the
September 11 attack in Washington.
"The government is of
firm belief that the way we are retaliating will have to
be
changed" in close consultation with the armed forces, Advani
said while inaugurating a charity centre here and Foreign Ministry
spokesperson snubbed countries advocating restraint, saying they
should "look to the other side of the fence."
Stressing
that India has the right to decide its own defence, the spokesperson
said Delhi was in the process of sensitising key countries about its
concerns on continuing cross-border terrorism. She said the world
community has already voiced its "empathy" over the May 14
terrorist attack near Jammu.
As regards Pakistan trying to
move the United Nations to intervene, she said it was nothing but an
attempt to deflect from the primary focus on terrorism aided and
abetted from across the border.
Meanwhile, reports from
Islamabad said President General Pervez Musharraf is initiating a
process of briefing and consultation with political parties and other
cross sections of society to take them into confidence regarding the
escalated tension on borders with India.
Musharraf has invited
political leaders and editors/columnists separately on Wednesday, May
the 22nd for briefing and consultations. He will also meet leaders of
PML (N) and PPP. He would be also holding the same day a joint
meeting of the Federal Cabinet and the National Security Council
(NSC) to review the situation.
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry
spokesman Aziz Ahmed Khan said Islamabad was mounting a diplomatic
drive for increased international efforts to make India "see
reason" and begin negotiations.
"We hope the
international community will increase further its efforts considering
the hostile postures adopted by India and convince India to see
reason and come to the negotiating table for discussions and
dialogue," he added. END