India plans to step up pressure on Pakistan over Kashmir
By Umashanker Phadnis
NEW DELHI: With new evidence surfacing over the alleged inflow of guerillas across the Line of Control into Jammu and Kashmir, India has decided to step up pressure on the western powers to intensify their efforts to compel Pakistan to act against ‘terrorist’ organizations operating from its soil.
This was stated by the new Foreign Secretary, Kanwal Sibal, the other day in a policy statement soon after taking office.
However, Sibal reiterated that India stood by its commitment to bilateralism as a policy towards Pakistan.
Sibal castigated the American propensity to “blow hot and cold”, and urged Washington to continue with its pressure on Islamabad to enable it act against international terrorism.
He said India would continue to lobby the threat emanating from Al Qaeda and Taliban remnants was the same as those operating in Jammu and Kashmir.
In a similar vein, Defence Minister George Fernandes told the visiting Japanese Foreign Minister, Yorko Kwaguchi, that India was willing to undertake joint surveillance of its border with Pakistan. But, he added that it required a certain level of understanding between both the countries.
Fernandes referred to the promise made by President Musharraf that he would find a permanent solution to the menace of crossborder infiltration, and undo the training camps inside its territory.
India is expected to continue with its efforts to influence both the American and British governments when the British foreign secretary Jack Straw and the US deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage arrive here later this month.
However, the visiting diplomats would need to be clear in their minds that India should take the next step to ease tensions across the borders.
On the other hand, it would be necessary to impress upon the visitors that Pakistan would have to put an end to its ‘policy’ of ambiguity in relation to crossborder ‘terrorism’ against New Delhi.
Jack Straw is likely to continue with the ongoing discussions on the sale of hawk jets valued at one billion pounds. This has got embroiled in considerable domestic controversy with the opposition strongly criticizing the government for ignoring the traditional British policy of not selling arms to nations in a state of conflict.
The dilemma before the government is that the deal was initiated by Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon, and would cost the British as many as 2,500 jobs. Nearly 70 members of Parliament in Britain have signed a memo protesting against the sale of hawks as being beyond the “legitimate interests of India.”
Partly to assuage the situation, the Blair government has been persuading India to adopt a more conciliatory attitude towards Pakistan.
Moreover, it takes cognizance of the travel advisory issued by Britain advising its citizens to refrain from visiting India and Pakistan. However, as many as 200 licenses have been issued for the sale of arms to India and Pakistan, presumably on an understanding that the arms purchases would not be used by either side in the event of conflict.
