August 25, 2002	Sunday	Jamadi-us-Saani 15,1423

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NEW DELHI, Aug 24: India said on Saturday that its troops had traded mortar and small arms fire with Pakistani forces at a few places along the Line of Control on Friday, but there was no known loss of life or property. It was not clear if the exchange also involved Pakistan’s post near Kargil.

Pakistan’s acting High Commissioner in New Delhi, Mr Jalil Abbas Jeelani, denied Indian claims that Pakistan was seeking to subvert Delhi-backed polls in occupied Kashmir scheduled for next month, saying: “The whole world except India is convinced today that Pakistan has done everything to address India’s concerns with regard to infiltration across the LOC.”

Jeelani was responding to a question by Dawn regarding Indian Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishan Advani’s warning to Pakistan to stay away from the polls. He said: “We maintain that after what we have done to address the issues raised by India, it is India’s problem to handle the law and order problem in the part of Kashmir under its occupation.”

The envoy said Pakistan was “neither helping nor encouraging anyone” to subvert the polls which President Pervez Musharraf has described as a farce.

The Press Trust of India, quoting defence sources, said Pakistani troops traded mortar and small arms fire at several places along the Line of Control and what India calls the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday night.

“But there was no loss of life or damage on the Indian side, they said. Pakistani rangers targeted forward positions in Drass sector with artillery shells forcing Indian troops to retaliate,” the agency said.

Exchange of mortar and small arms fire between the two sides was reported in Rajouri district’s Bhawani sector on Friday night.

Intermittent exchange of small arms fire between Pakistani Rangers and India’s Border Security Forces (BSF) had also occurred at 18 places in Kanachak, Akhnoor, Khour, Arnia, RS Pura and Samba sectors since Friday night, the sources told PTI.

At the heart of Jeelani’s comments was the warning by Advani on Saturday when he told Pakistan to keep away from the poll process in Kashmir and desist from vitiating the atmosphere in the run-up to the assembly elections.

“We expect that our neighbour will not try to interfere in the poll process and create an atmosphere wherein the people face problems,” Advani told reporters in Delhi on his return from Britain after a three-day visit.

Advani said that he had conveyed India’s viewpoint to Britain on various issues, especially on cross-border terrorism. He said he had told British leaders that steps were being taken to ensure a free and fair poll in Jammu and Kashmir so that people come out in large numbers to vote without any fear.

Earlier on Saturday, US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage left Delhi for Islamabad in a highly charged atmosphere, with India denying Pakistani allegations of a ground and air assault on a Pakistani post across the Line of Control in Kashmir.

“We want the elections to be free and fair and open. There have been some difficulties historically in this, but this time the Government of India seems quite intent on having them free, fair and as open as possible. We are concerned about the possibility of violence and we will be talking about it as we travel further on this mission,” said Armitage.