NEW DELHI: India viewed Islamabad's implementation of its January 2004 commitment to end cross-border terrorism as "unconditional" and not linked to the proposal put forward by Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf that the towns of Srinagar, Kupwara and Baramulla be demilitarised.

The External Affairs Ministry spokesman also rejected concepts like joint control or management of Jammu & Kashmir, an "integral part" of India, by Islamabad and New Delhi, as a basis of settling the Kashmir issue.

In a response to an interview given by Gen. Musharraf to the CNN-IBN television channel, the spokesman said on Saturday night that Pakistan should immediately implement its commitment to end cross-border terrorism so that the peace process could move forward.

According to the spokesman, he seemed to suggest that if India withdrew its troops from the three Kashmiri towns, he would ensure there was no "militancy" there. "What we are talking about here is `terrorism' and no mere militancy."

He said demilitarisation or redeployment of security forces within the territory of India was a sovereign decision of the Government of India and could not be "dictated" by any foreign government.

"Such decisions are based on our assessment of the security situation prevailing in any particular part of the country. As long as the security situation in J & K [Jammu & Kashmir], and indeed in other parts of the country is adversely affected by the phenomenon of cross-border terrorism and violence perpetrated by Pakistan-based terrorist groups, the Government of India will fulfil its responsibility to safeguard the lives and security of its citizens," the spokesman said.

According to him, the two countries should aim to establish peace all along the India-Pakistan border and the Line of Control so that there was no need for the two countries to deploy troops in proximity to one another.

"A complete cessation to cross-border terrorism and the permanent dismantling of the infrastructure of terrorism would contribute to early realisation of this aim," he said.

On Pakistan's references to self-governance, the spokesman said, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had conveyed to his counterpart Shaukat Aziz that Jammu and Kashmir already enjoyed autonomy under the Indian Constitution and had in place a popular government elected through free and fair elections.

"However, there was clearly a lack of autonomy in PoK [Pakistan-occupied Kashmir] and there had been no popular elections in Gilgit and Baltistan to determine the wishes and aspirations of the people. Against this background, it ought to be clear that concepts such as joint control or joint management over J&K, which is an integral part of India, cannot be the basis of a settlement of the issue of J&K," he said. The spokesman said he had no response immediately to a conditional invitation extended by Gen. Musharraf that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visit Pakistan to watch a game in the coming cricket series.

Terming his reaction as partial since Gen. Musharraf's full interview to the television channel was still to be viewed, the spokesman rejected as baseless allegations made by Pakistan of Indian involvement in fomenting trouble in Balochistan.

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