The Hindu : U.K. contingency `plans' for India-Pak. n-war

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 25, 2002

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U.K. contingency `plans' for India-Pak. n-war

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON MAY 24 . In what sounds like a Doomsday scenario, British military experts are reported to be preparing plans to deal with the aftermath of a nuclear war between India and Pakistan, The Times said today as the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, stepped up diplomatic efforts to defuse the crisis.

In a front-page report, the newspaper quoted unnamed military sources as saying that they believed there was a "real possibility'' of a nuclear war on the subcontinent and that options to deal with its consequences were being `studied'.

``Indeed, the Government is so alarmed by one of the most pessimistic intelligence assessments since the Cuban missile crisis that the military has been ordered to start planning for the possible emergency evacuation of Britons from India and Pakistan,'' the newspaper said echoing the near panic in Britain over fears of an India-Pakistan conflict which Mr. Blair warned had "implications for the whole of the world''.

Mr. Blair, who was said to be fully engaged in peace moves, had a long telephone conversation with the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, on Thursday on the need to bring enough pressure on both India and Pakistan to pull back from the brink.

Earlier, he spoke to the U.S. President, George W.Bush, whose role is seen to be `pivotal' in getting the two countries to lower the temperature.

Observers said the American stakes in averting a confrontation were also higher, as a war would seriously affect its own anti-terrorist operations in the region.

Significantly, it is the coming visit of the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Richard Armitage, to India and Pakistan that is being watched with considerably more interest here than that of the British Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw's tour of the region next week. Mr. Straw has said he is not carrying any "pre-cooked'' peace plan but he is expected to deliver a tough message to Islamabad that it must end support to any form of terrorism in Kashmir.

In New Delhi he would call for restraint, and urge resumption of a dialogue with Pakistan.

Mr. Blair has already said that India must be "prepared to offer a proper system of dialogue to resolve all issues between the two countries, including disputes over Kashmir.''

Meanwhile, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament has expressed `grave' concern over the "growing danger'' of a nuclear exchange between India and Pakistan but questioned the moral authority of big nuclear powers to urge restraint on others.

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