Sattar calls up Jaswant Singh

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, SEPT. 22. In what appears to be an attempt to mollify New Delhi over the remarks made by the Pakistan President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, three days ago, the Pakistan Foreign Minister, Mr. Abdul Sattar, today telephoned the External Affairs Minister, Mr. Jaswant Singh, and exchanged notes on the emerging situation in the world after the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington.

India was taken aback at the no-holds-barred attack by Gen. Musharraf on New Delhi for allegedly attempting to fish in troubled waters in the wake of the terror attacks on the U.S. and settle scores with Pakistan.

The warning to New Delhi by Gen. Musharraf to ``lay off'' triggered a war of words from the other side and the telephone call by the Pakistan Foreign Minister is seen in diplomatic circles as an effort by Islamabad to defuse the tension.

A spokesman of the Pakistan Foreign Office told a news conference here that in the course of the telephonic contact, the two Ministers exchanged views on the situation arising out of the terrorist attacks on the American cities and the aftermath.

According to him, Mr. Sattar explained to Mr. Singh the provocation for the blunt remarks made by the General in his address to the people of Pakistan. The Pakistan Foreign Minister stuck to the theme that Islamabad was prompted to react in the light of ``vicious propaganda'' by the Indian media and a segment of the ruling combine against his country.

The Pakistan Foreign Minister told his Indian counterpart that Islamabad was fully cooperating with the international community in its endeavour to build a coalition against terrorism.

Mr. Sattar told Mr. Singh that Islamabad was guided in its approach to combating terrorism by the resolutions of the U.N. Security Council and the General Assembly.

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