The Hindu : Ball is in India's court: Pak.

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 30, 2002

International

International

Ball is in India's court: Pak.

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD July 29 . A day after the visit of the U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell, Pakistan asserted that it has nothing more to offer to defuse the tension in the region and that the ball was in India's court.

The Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman, Aziz Ahmed Khan, told a news conference that Islamabad had done all it could to stop infiltration across the Line of Control and the Indian allegations of continued infiltration were totally ``baseless''.

``We believe we have taken all the necessary steps. Pakistan has no more steps to take. The only move to de-escalate the current tension in the region is by withdrawal of forces and move towards a structured, serious and result-oriented dialogue'', he said. On India's charges of continued infiltration, Mr. Khan said the only way to verify them was to allow deployment of United Nations observers. Pakistan had no objection to monitoring of the movements across the LoC by `neutral observers'.

``Instead of using one excuse or the other, India should face the reality in Kashmir squarely. The people in Kashmir are engaged in a struggle for their right to self-determination.

Pakistan is a party to the issue and the only way it could be resolved is through peaceful dialogue across the table.''

On the coming Jammu and Kashmir elections, he said polls were no substitute to the plebiscite promised to the Kashmiris by the international community and the U.N. Resolutions. To a specific question, Mr. Khan said Pakistan was not under any `outside pressure' to support these elections.

In a related development, the Vice-Chief of Pakistan Army, Muhammad Yusuf, said in an interview to PTV that Pakistan would never give up its stance on Kashmir and reserved the right to take every step in line with its Kashmir policy. ``I would like to assure the people of Pakistan that if the enemy selects to have limited war with Pakistan at Kashmir this would be the best front for Pakistan Army to teach a lesson to our arch rival,'' he said.

``The question does not arise that Pakistan would ever change its policy on Kashmir. This is a matter of national prestige, and more over Kashmir is our right.''

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