28 May 2002

INDIA HOLDS BACK HAND TO LET MUSHARRAF REALLY ACT

From Jal Khambata

NEW DELHI: India is holding back its hand from any further offensive, asking Pakistan to implement and act on assurances itself has given and pointing out that talks at this stage are "very difficult" when one "holds finger on trigger and says talk to me or else ..."

After reading out a brief and terse Indian response to Pakistan President Gen. Pervez Musharraf's televised address to the nation Monday night, Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh asked the international community to wake up to Pakistan's bid to nuclearise terrorism.

He said Musharraf and some of his Ministers had been speaking "very casually" about "nuclearaisation of terrorism. "This is an example of how promotion of terrorism and nuclear threats are held simultaneously," he pointed out.

He also ruled out any possibility of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Musharraf holding any talks during the Almaty conference in Kazakistan next month. Russian President Vladimir Putin is to hold separate talks with the two leaders in Almaty. Jaswant Singh, however, ducked a pointed question as to how long India hold patience since Vajpayee was repeatedly saying the patience has already run out.

The "desire for peace" expressed by Musharraf in his address is "in his own hand" to act and "India will reciprocate," Jaswant Singh said while dubbing his address as "disappointing" since the commitments he had made earlier on January 12 in a similar televised address remain unfulfilled and "dangerous" since "butchery and tension" are not reduced but "unfortunately" he indulged in offensives which contradict his own desire of peace.

Regretting that Musharraf has revealed "no measures to stop export of terrorism" and his claims were not tallying with "facts on ground," Jaswant Singh told a very crowded Press conference that India is not contemplating at the moment breaking diplomatic relations with Pakistan. "Nahi yah abhi koyee prshna nahi hai (No, it is not the question now)."

NUCLEAR: Asked about fears of a nuclear conflict if tension escalates further, Jaswant Singh expressed disappointment that Musharraf and some ministers in his Government have spoken very casually about "nuclearisation of terrorism." Stating that "this is an example of how promotion or terrorism and threat of nuclear are held simultaneously," he said India's Nuclear policy of "no first use" remains unchanged.

He affirmed that Musharraf had himself given a commitment to the international community to act against terrorism and hence he must completely stop infiltration across the Line of Control (LoC), disband terrorist training camps in Pak-occupied Kashmir "permanently and not just temporarily", cease financial and infrastructural support to terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and also deport to India 20 criminals whose list was furnished in December.

How will India accept that the terrorist training camps are permanently wound up? Jaswant Singh said India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have same background and so "we will know" if closure of the camps is a "cosmetic gesture or a commitment and a permanent gesture."

EVIDENCE: Jaswant Singh, however, flared up when asked to comment on Musharraf's claim that India was yet to provide any evidence of Pakistan's hand in the incidents of terrorist attacks, be it on Parliament, Jammu and Kashmir Assembly or on civilians and military camp in Jammu.

"Are you interrogating me for evidence or corroborating with General Musharraf," he shot back and asked the questioner: "Have you seen the evidence." When told "No," he asked: "How do you then say Musharraf is right?"

He went on to point out that the Pakistani authorities had been provided all telltale evidence, be it fingerprints, addresses, photographs and what not and the terrorist arrested in the latest attack in Rajouri has himself admitted his Pakistani domicile.

WORLD PRESSURE: Asked if India were satisfied with the pressure the United Kingdom and the United States are applying on Pakistan, Jaswant Singh quipped: "It is not the question of my satisfaction. It is the result that we see on ground. Today the third missile and yesterday's speech and all kinds of actions..."

He said: "It is for UK and USA to assess whether their pressure is working" on Pakistan since their purpose is the international fight against terrorism.

When told that Musharraf has also admitted that he may not have control on some persons indulging in terrorism to damage Pakistan's interest, Jaswant Singh snapped back that it was for him to answer as to "does the general's writ runs inside Pakistan." On one hand he claims 98 per cent support (in the controversial referendum he secured) and simultaneously he claims no control on what happens in Pakistan, Jaswant Singh remarked.

Asked if India will risk war and how much more time it will give Musharraf to act, Jaswant Singh said his "most earnest request" will be to see that "India was already subjected to war, a kind of proxy war for two decades almost though it does not fall into the standard classical war."

He pointed out that the "war" has been already redefined internationally when US President Bush says after September 11 attack on New York's twin towers that "war has been declared against the United States." It is a new form of war which has now international recognition, he added. END