A distorted picture: Pak.

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, AUG. 7. In a sharp reaction to the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee's reply to the debate in the Lok Sabha on the Agra summit, Pakistan today accused India of presenting a ``distorted picture of the negotiations'' at Agra and urged it not to ``vitiate the atmosphere'' for bilateral engagement.

Though a brief statement of the Foreign Office did not refer directly to the Prime Minister's remarks, it left no doubt that the military government was not amused with the Prime Minister's comments.

``Since the Agra summit, a number of statements have emanated from India, including at the highest level, that present a distorted picture of the negotiations held at Agra and contain remarks which are in poor taste.

The Government of Pakistan believes misrepresentations and gratuitous observations can neither alter facts nor serve to promote the cause of normalisation of relations between Pakistan and India. Pakistan, therefore, urges India not to vitiate the atmosphere for engagement between the two countries,'' it said.

The statement assumes importance against the backdrop of two developments.

The two Foreign Secretaries are to meet in the course of the next two days in Colombo on the sidelines of the Special meeting of the Standing Committee of the SAARC.

More significant, the statement follows the two-day deliberations of the Pakistan military commanders in Rawalpindi on Monday and Tuesday.

The summit was one of the main items discussed.

In a related development, the new Prime Minister of Pakistan- occupied Kashmir, Sardar Sikander Hayat Khan, accused India of trying to ``suppress the Kashmiris' struggle for the freedom of their motherland''.

In perhaps his first major speech on Kashmir, Sardar Khan said, ``liberation movements can never be cowed down by threats''.

``The freedom forces in Kashmir are determined to bury down into the mountains the military pride of India.''

Referring to the Union Home Minister, Mr. L. K. Advani's statement on India's determination to crush militancy in Kashmir, he said over the last 12 years the ongoing movement could not be dented by over 700,000 Indian troops. India could not suppress the will of the Kashmiris any longer, he said adding the world had realised that India had always been the aggressor in Kashmir.

Condemning ``the cultural decimation'' of Kashmiris by Indian forces, he said, ``we will make India stand at the bar of international justice soon.''

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