The Hindu : Ask U.S. to pressure Pak.: Surjeet

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 22, 2002

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National

Ask U.S. to pressure Pak.: Surjeet

By Our Special Correspondent

The CPI leader, Harkishan Singh Surjeet, talking to mediapersons after discussing Indo-Pakistani relations with the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, in New delhi on Tuesday. — Photo: V. Sudershan

NEW DELHI MAY 21. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) today said it was against war with Pakistan to tackle cross-border terrorism and suggested that the Vajpayee Government ask Washington to exert pressure on Islamabad to put an end to it. He urged the Government to take an initiative on autonomy for the region.

After a 45-minute meeting with the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, the CPI(M) leader told correspondents: ``war is not a solution for this problem, but if they (Pakistan) attack we have to protect ourselves''.

Mr. Surjeet told the Prime Minister that resorting immediately to a military option would deflect international attention away from pressuring Islamabad to cease its support to cross-border terrorism. The focus would then be on cessation of war and not on Pakistan's support to cross-border terrorism.

Instead of exercising the option of war, Mr. Surjeet suggested that other avenues be explored and that the U.S. be asked to exercise pressure on Pakistan.

In the latest issue of the party organ, ``People's Democracy'', the CPI(M) advocated a three-pronged approach to the current situation. One was stepping up diplomatic and political pressure on the Pakistani Government to take effective steps against extremists, effective steps to strengthen the political process in the state and offering autonomy as the basis for negotiations and heightening vigilance and security measures to check hardcore extremism.

Presidential election

Mr. Surjeet said the party was for a consensus on the choice of a Presidential candidate since no political party or combination had a clear majority in the electoral college. The CPI (M) leader said that during the meeting he suggested to the Prime Minister that all parties work for a consensus.

The CPI(M) favours a second term for K.R. Narayanan. The party is scheduled to discuss the presidential election at its central committee meeting being held at Bangalore between May 24 and 26.

There is the possibility of a meeting of the People's Front here ahead of the CPI(M)'s Bangalore meet. The Front convener and Samajwadi Party chief, Mulayam Singh Yadav, is understood to be in favour of the scientist, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, as the Presidential candidate, while the Left parties prefer Mr. Narayanan.

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