September 14, 2002	Saturday	Rajab 6, 1423

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NEW YORK, Sept 13: The Indian prime minister on Friday rejected observations by Pakistan that his government was pushing South Asia toward another conflict and instead, accused Islamabad of training and harbouring terrorists.

In a speech at the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee alleged that terrorists trained by Pakistan were “launching attacks in Kashmir and other parts of the world”.

The Indian premier also alleged that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence was “sending terrorists into Kashmir to disturb the state elections”, scheduled to begin on Sept 16.

“If the elections are a mere fraud, why are terrorists being trained and infiltrated into India at the command of the Inter-Services Intelligence of Pakistan to kill candidates and to intimidate voters,” he said.

Referring to President Pervez Musharraf’s address to the General Assembly on Thursday in which he accused India of vitiating peace in South Asia, Vajpayee asked: “If Pakistan claims to be a crucial partner in the international coalition against terrorism, how can it continue to use terrorism as an instrument of state policy against India?

“As far as India is concerned, we have repeatedly clarified that no one in our country wants a war _ conventional or otherwise. Nor are we seeking any territory.”

Vajpayee devoted the first half of his speech to rebutting President Musharraf’s statement that those fighting inside occupied Kashmir were freedom fighters, and not terrorists.

“This is an extraordinary claim. It requires an effort of logical acrobatics to believe that carnage of innocents is an instrument for freedom,” he said.

He accused Pakistan of trying to sabotage elections in the held state and also ridiculed the referendum President Musharraf held in April.

Taking a belligerent stance on the Kashmir issue, the Indian prime minister said New Delhi was determined to crush terrorists “with all the means at its command”.