Delhi plays down test report

Published May 26, 2002

NEW DELHI, May 25: Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on Saturday played down the missile test by Pakistan.

“The test has taken place. We are not taking it with any greater amount of seriousness,” the Press Trust of India news agency quoted Vajpayee as saying in the northern town of Manali, where he is on a break until Wednesday.

The premier urged world governments to press Pakistan to crack down on “terrorism”, saying India had waited far too long for Pakistan to act.

“We have waited for too long,” PTI quoted Vajpayee telling reporters in Manali.

The PTI said he urged world leaders to put pressure on Pakistan to stop “cross-border terrorism” and had written to the leaders of France, Russia and the United States.—Reuters