It is Lahore-II, says Advani

By Vinay Kumar

WAGAH CHECKPOST (Punjab), NOV. 26. Describing India's Ramzan ceasefire offer as ``Lahore-II'', the Union Home Minister, Mr. L. K. Advani, today formally called upon Pakistan to respond positively by stopping cross-border terrorism and putting an end to infiltration in Jammu and Kashmir.

``I appeal to the Pakistani Government to take advantage of this offer and show its sincerity in restoring peace and goodwill. It can do so by stopping cross-border terrorism, effectively checking infiltration and putting an end to training militants in arms and explosives for pushing them in Kashmir,'' Mr. Advani said. There was no question of Pakistan being involved in talks with the militants.

The Minister was inaugurating the Viewers' Gallery and `Swaran Jayanti Dwar' at this joint checkpost on the Indo-Pakistan border.

``There could be some inhibition in Pakistan that by responding to India's offer of ceasefire in some positive way it would be indirectly admitting that it has been funding, abetting and sponsoring terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir,'' Mr. Advani said.The ceasefire offer was nothing less than ``Lahore II'' in terms of a major peace initiative, Mr. Advani said recalling that the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, had travelled down the same road and the Wagah border checkpost to Lahore in February last year.

The significance of Mr. Advani's choice of the venue could not be missed. Addressing a press conference later, he elaborated on the events that marked the post-Lahore phase in the relations between the two nuclear neighbours.

``After the Lahore bus trip of Mr. Vajpayee, Pakistan mounted Kargil incursions and whipped up its proxy war. Earlier this year, Pakistan-backed militants indulged in the killing of innocent Sikhs in Chattisingpora and again intensified the violent campaign in Kashmir,'' he said.

Referring to the breakdown of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen's ceasefire offer in August, Mr. Advani said Pakistan had not expected India to respond to it positively. ``I understand that there are inhibitions in Pakistan of admitting that it is training militants and pushing them into Jammu and Kashmir. But it should grab this second major peace initiative.''

Asserting that the Government's intention was not to establish superiority by ``gun power'', Mr. Advani said the people of Kashmir had suffered for the past 12 years and it was time their hardship came to an end.

Referring to the recent incidents of violence in Banihal and Kishtwar, he said they has caused concern but hoped that in general terms the ceasefire would hold good. ``We are not going to let down our vigil on the border. Our forces are fully prepared to protect civilians and face any challenge. Declaration of suspension of combat operations against militants is not a sign of weakness,'' he said.

India's peace initiative had been hailed by the world community. Pakistan's support to cross-border terrorism, particularly in the context of the post-Kargil scenario, had made a marked difference in shaping the international opinion vis-a-vis Indo-Pakistan relations.

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