The Hindu : Grounded MiG-21s cleared

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

Front Page

Front Page

Grounded MiG-21s cleared

By Atul Aneja and Sandeep Dikshit

NEW DELHI MAY 21. The armed forces today further fine-tuned their operational preparedness by deploying additional assets in the border areas. The grounded squadrons of Mig-21 have been cleared for operational flying, while the remaining Army brigade in Gujarat is being airlifted to its operational area in the Rajasthan sector.

With the combat readiness almost complete, the armed forces are anticipating political signals, especially after the assassination of the Hurriyat leader, Abdul Gani Lone this evening.

Official sources here said that Mr. Lone's killing was part of a concerted move to disrupt the Jammu and Kashmir elections through enhanced infiltrations. Sources in the security establishment however felt that the killing of Mr. Lone could backfire on its perpetrators as it could harden Kashmiri sentiments against cross-border terrorism.

Meanwhile, the internal debate in the Government on the non-military options available to convey its concerns against cross-border terrorism also began to acquire greater momentum. Highly-placed sources said the debate is hovering over the possibility of withdrawing the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to Pakistan, the abrogation of the Indus Waters treaty and the possible enforcement of provisions of the U.N. Security Council resolution 1373 in the backdrop of the Jammu incident. Resolutions 1373 calls upon all countries to terminate terrorism on their soil and lead to enforcement of sanctions in case of non-compliance.

According to one view, the withdrawal of the MFN status could be counter-productive. For instance, India, it is said, has been maintaining that Pakistan should be debarred from entering a newly-formed grouping of Indian Ocean Rim countries as it has denied MFN status to India. The denial of MFN status to Pakistan, on the contrary, can be an about-turn, that can embarrass India in the multilateral fora. On the Indus waters treaty, it is felt that the blocking of waters of key tributaries of the Indus that flow into Pakistan have several pitfalls. Such a step can be construed as a violation of international law.

Focused on bilateralism, India may find it hard to directly invoke U.N. Securty Council resolution 1373 in the light of the Jammu terrorist attack. But sources here point out that the Securty Council can suo motu discuss Pakistan's adherence to this resolution.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

Stories in this Section

Hurriyat leader Lone assassinated in Srinagar

Peace campaign will not stop: PM

Grounded MiG-21s cleared

Iran calls for restraint

Naval ships head west

LTTE, Govt. hold talks