June 13, 2002	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 1, 1423

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KUALA LUMPUR, June 12: A Pakistani envoy said on Wednesday international monitoring was still the best way to check on militant incursions into Indian Kashmir despite a United States offer of sensors.

“There have been suggestions of electronic sensors, air patrols by helicopters, the stationing of British and American troops. These ideas are all up in the air,” said Pakistani special envoy Najmuddin A. Shaikh.

“Its practicality and its utilization will need to be assessed ... international monitoring is still the best way to achieve the objective we have in mind.”

Shaikh said that despite Pakistan’s commitment to prevent incursions into India Kashmir, there were bound to be “leaks”.

“Some are not entirely subservient to the wishes of the Pakistani government and inclined to volatility,” he said.

“There should be no doubts on the efforts of the Pakistani government but efforts may be successful only 98 percent or 97 per cent of the time and this must be accepted as a ground reality.”

Shaikh, one of five emissaries sent abroad by President Pervez Musharraf to explain Pakistan’s perspective, said India had set up three-layers of obstacles at the LoC, including minefields, and had adequate troops to station a soldier every two metres.

“There must be a realistic assessment that if India with all its formidable forces and all the obstacles that it has put forward has not been able to seal it completely, Pakistan effort notwithstanding, some leakages may continue to occur,” he said.

Shaikh hailed India’s recent lifting of a ban on the use of Indian airspace by Pakistani aircraft and the recall of its warships from Pakistan but called for more “substantive steps” to resolve the Kashmir dispute.

India’s forces “remained poised” at the border at the moment and Pakistan has no choice but to “remain prepared for any eventualities”, he said.

“Pakistan believes the next step is for India. We need more substantive steps towards the resumption of the dialogue if we are to see progress. We have not yet seen anything.” Shaikh earlier met Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar to brief them about the stand-off with India.—AFP