NEW DELHI, Jan 13: India says it has no plans to cut troop levels in Kashmir, despite a call to do so by Islamabad, because separatist operations continued unabated from Paksitani territory.

“I feel we need to be present because the infrastructure of the terrorists is still intact across the Line of Control (LoC) and infiltration is continuing to take place,” Indian army chief Gen Joginder Jaswant Singh told a news conference on Friday.

His comments come after a call by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf last week to demilitarise three cities in held Kashmir in an attempt to push forward a hesitant peace process between the nuclear rivals.

New Delhi says despite the two-year peace process, Pakistan continues to abet a Muslim separatist revolt in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir and allow militants to cross the LoC.

Islamabad denies the charges, saying it provides only moral and diplomatic support to what it calls freedom fighters.—Reuters