'Deeds must follow words'

By C. Raja Mohan

NEW DELHI, DEC. 2. India is carefully assessing the declared intent of Pakistan to observe military restraint on the Line of Control in response to the unilateral ceasefire put in place earlier this week. But a breakthrough in Indo-Pakistan relations, informed sources here say, will depend less on what the military regime in Islamabad said today, and more on what it does on the ground to create an atmosphere conducive to the resumption of the peace process in Kashmir.

The Government has been fully aware of the growing internal and international pressure on Pakistan to respond positively to the ceasefire initiative in Kashmir. Pakistan could have delayed this only at the cost of further isolation and loss of leverage on the ground in Kashmir.

Islamabad, however, has couched its offer to respect ceasefire on the LoC in a number of other formulations entirely unacceptable to India. Government sources say there is no question of ever accepting either the ``tripartite'' talks that Pakistan wants or give an expanded role to the U.N. in monitoring the ceasefire. But the overall Indian response is likely to be shaped by evidence of Pakistan's readiness to create a favourable situation on the ground for talks between New Delhi and the militants as well as between India and Pakistan.

There are at least three elements to the conducive atmosphere in Kashmir that India has emphasised since the Kargil confrontation last year. Besides lowering the military temperature on the LoC, India wants to see a sharp reduction in the infiltration of militants, and an end to Pakistani support for cross-border terrorism.

Pakistan's proposal today deals with only one of these three elements - quiet on the LoC. India is aware of Pakistan's political difficulty in formally acknowledging its role on infiltration and cross-border terrorism. The proof of Pakistani good intentions can only judged by the trend-line of infiltration and terrorist violence in the coming days.

If Pakistan does convey a basic shift in its approach on cross- border terrorism, its offer today could open some space for diplomats to finesse the differences between the two countries on the negotiating framework and confidence-building measures to de- escalate the situation.

While rejecting the pernicious elements of the Pakistan statement, there will be no rushing to judgment in New Delhi on the intentions of Islamabad. The jury will be out until the evidence from the ground is in.

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