JAMMU, May 9: India’s defence minister on Tuesday rejected a call by Pakistan for troop cuts in occupied Kashmir to push forward a slow-moving peace process, saying attacks by militants must stop first. “We will not reduce troop strength in Jammu and Kashmir,” Pranab Mukherjee said in Jammu. “A reduction of troops depends on the security scenario.”

President Pervez Musharraf has urged India to reduce troops in Srinagar, Baramulla and Sopore to speed up peace talks between the two nations.

Mr Mukherjee made the comments after visiting Doda and Udhampur.

Some 60,000 frontline troops are posted along occupied Kashmir’s border while hundreds of thousands of paramilitary troops and police personnel are deployed in the region.

Mr Mukherjee warned he would send in more troops if attacks continued in Kashmir.

“If the graph of militancy-related violence goes up (then) we may be forced to enhance the numerical presence of troops,” he said, accusing Pakistan of reneging on its pledge last year to halt militant activity on its soil.

“I request Pakistan to adhere to its commitment that its land will not be used for cross-border terrorism because as per our information 59 training camps are still functioning in Pakistan,” Mr Mukherjee said.—AFP