International
Pak. urges India to move back troops from border
By B. Muralidhar Reddy
ISLAMABAD, JAN 15 Pakistan has urged India to move back its troops from the border to de-escalate the current tension between India and Pakistan.
Addressing a news conference here Rashid Quereshi, Press Secretary to the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, said India had deployed a large number of troops on Pakistan borders and as long it continued, tension would not come down.
``We expect India to move its troops back to peace- time positions and continue the process of dialogue. This is the only way to defuse tension,'' he said in response to a question on the current situation after the speech of Gen. Musharraf on January 12 and the Indian response. Answering a question on the Indian reaction to Gen. Musharraf's address to the nation, the Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman, Kamran Niaz, said New Delhi's response could have been `warmer'. He, however, hastened to add that the response articulated by the External Affairs Minister, Jaswant Singh, was not negative.
Gen. Quereshi emphasised that there was an urgent need to reduce the tension straightway in view of the danger of conflict with the armies standing eyeball to eyeball. The process of dialogue should start.
Mr. Niaz said Pakistan favoured immediate de- escalation and hoped that `better sense would prevail' and that India would agree to discuss all outstanding issues with Pakistan sooner than later.
Answering a question, Gen. Quereshi argued that Pakistan was taking action against extremists as a policy matter to eliminate terrorism and not on India's demand. As a matter of policy, Pakistan condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations that included state terrorism. ``We have joined international coalition on the basis of this policy and we would continue to implement the state policy against terrorism,'' he said. Gen. Quereshi said Gen. Musharraf, in his speech, had outlined what the Government had been doing for the last two years to control extremism and sectarian violence in the country.
About implementation of measures announced by Gen. Musharraf of certain organisations, Gen. Quereshi said there should be no doubt about the Government's resolve and capabilities to implement its decisions.
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