BJP cautions Pak., Cong urges vigilance

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JAN. 23. Given a third chance for peace as a result of the Government once again extending the ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir, the Bharatiya Janata Party today warned that Pakistan must rethink its strategy and not be misled into thinking that India would capitulate on two important points. There would be no change in India's stand that talks cannot take place unless all terrorist violence was stopped, and there was no question of holding tripartite talks, the BJP spokesperson, Mr. Jana Krishnamurthi, said.

The Congress' attitude towards the extension of ceasefire was positive, but it warned that the Government should not lower its guard. In Raipur, the party president, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, said the Government's initiative to bring peace to the State would be supported by her party, but the Government must remain prepared. She pointed out that there had been serious negative experiences in the past. Mr. Ahmed Patel, in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir, said: ``We favour any step that is conducive to peace, but the Government must remain prepared for all contingencies.''

The BJP is hoping that at least this time Pakistan will respond positively by making an effort to rein in terrorist organisations operating from its soil to create the right climate for bilateral talks. There was also the suggestion by a party leader that the Government perhaps wanted to give some time to the new administration in Washington to exercise a salutary influence on Pakistan and make it see sense.

Although the party had been saying that an extension of ceasefire would be ``very difficult'' and the party president, Mr. Bangaru Laxman, had virtually hinted that the ceasefire may not be extended, it cautiously welcomed the announcement extending the ceasefire for a month from January 26.

Party leaders informally suggested that the Government knew best as it had access to all information on the basis of which the Cabinet Committee on Security Affairs took the decision today. Although Pakistan's response has been less than adequate till now, as Mr. Krishnamurthi put it: ``If you strike a piece of iron with a rock 60 times it may not break, but that does not mean it will not break if you continue hammering it.'' If the 60 days of ceasefire had not yet produced the desired result, perhaps the extension of 30 days will.

The party had said yesterday that a serious assessment would have to be made of the situation before taking a decision on the extension, and that is what the Cabinet Committee did today, it noted. There was also the view that since it was India which had taken the initiative to announce a unilateral ceasefire during the month of Ramzan, the Government naturally wanted it to lead to a positive result.

Another party leader, Mr. J. P. Mathur, was of the view that with sanctions imposed on the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, and Pakistan having announced steps to close down some Taliban offices, ``there will be a movement of Taliban groups to Pakistan which could push them into India.''

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