NEW DELHI, July 16: Indian Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Sunday that there was a good reason not to consider withdrawing troops from Kashmir for the time being.
Mr Mukherjee, who was in Kolkata, said: “There is no question of a troop reduction from Kashmir as long as infiltration from across the border continues. How can we reduce troops as long as Pakistan does not keep its promise of not allowing its land to be used by terrorists against India?”
Addressing his Congress Party workers, Mr Mukherjee accused Pakistan of following double standards in dealing with terrorism.
He was quoted by Press Trust of India news agency as saying that although the Musharraf government was bombing Taliban hideouts in Waziristan, it was allowing 39 launching pads to operate on its side of Kashmir from where relentless efforts were being made to send terrorists into India.
“On January 6, 2004, Musharraf said he would not allow Pakistani territory to be used by terrorists. We are saying to him ‘dislodge the terrorists’ camps and stop giving them logistic support ... Terrorists are not coming into India from Mars or Siberia. They are coming from the other side of the border,” he alleged.
Meanwhile, India’s Junior Home Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal said the Mumbai blasts could affect the peace process with Pakistan.
“We do not want to derail the peace process but after such incidents it could be affected,” Mr Jaiswal told reporters in Raipur.
In reply to a question whether the bus service between India and Pakistan would be discontinued, he said New Delhi did not want to resort to anything which would derail the peace process.
