ISLAMABAD, May 23: A special Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSC) meeting on Thursday was informed that Pakistan had stepped up its diplomatic efforts to avert the growing warlike situation in the region.
According to informed sources, the meeting, presided over by President Gen Pervez Musharraf, reviewed the level of operational preparedness of the three services and was told that Pakistan did not want war and that is why it had once again decided to involve the world community, specially the United Nations, the United States, the European Union, Russia, Japan, China and the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) to help defuse the current volatile situation.
The meeting was briefed about the latest situation developing on the eastern border and Indian Navy’s reinforcement of its western fleet in the Arabian Sea with five warships from the eastern fleet.
Sources said the president stated that Pakistan was making sure that India did not have any excuse to launch an attack on Pakistan by running the bogey of cross-border terrorism.
He said new instructions had been issued to the concerned authorities not to allow anyone to cross over the border for carrying out any activity there.
The meeting was told that Pakistan was once again launching a diplomatic offensive to avert the chances of war, though chances of success were not very bright.
The president also said the US today understood better the Pakistan point of view and its desire to resume dialogue with India to sort out contentious issues through peaceful means.
The sources said some headway was expected to reduce the chances of war with the forthcoming visits of British Secretary of State Jack Straw and US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Armitage to both India and Pakistan.
The president also told the meeting that he had started taking into confidence his cabinet colleagues, members of the National Security Council (NSC) and politicians about the fast deteriorating situation.
He said while he had met editors and senior journalists on Wednesday, he would also be holding further meetings with a cross section of the people.
The meeting, the sources said, was informed that the president would be addressing the nation in a day or so to take the people into confidence about the new developments in the region.
The meeting, attended by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, services chiefs and other senior military officers, reviewed the prevailing situation along the Line of Control (LoC), working boundary and international border.
Expressing his fullest satisfaction with the operational preparedness of the three services, President Musharraf reiterated that while Pakistan stood for peace, its valiant armed forces were totally prepared to respond effectively to any aggression.
