The Hindu : Will they pull back from the brink?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 25, 2002

Opinion

Opinion - News Analysis

Will they pull back from the brink?

By K.K. Katyal

There is perceptible pressure on the Indian Government — both from within and outside — to give diplomacy a chance on issues arising from the stand-off with Pakistan. Simultaneously, there is increased recognition by the international community that the trans-border terrorism had continued despite the package announced by the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, on January 12. The world powers which were impressed by his stand and wanted India to give him time and show restraint are now mindful of continued Indian concerns. As a cumulative effect of the two developments — mounting emphasis on use of the route of diplomacy and the greater understanding of New Delhi's stand — the march of the two countries towards the brink may slow down.

New Delhi had been somewhat blunt in responding to the advice for restraint by world leaders which figured in the conversations, in most cases telephonic, with the External Affairs Minister, Jaswant Singh, of his counterparts from the U.S., the U.K., Germany and Iran to cite a few cases. India wanted them to tell Pakistan to match its words with action. However, New Delhi did not reject — by its conduct — the plea for use of diplomatic options. In the domestic field, most Opposition parties — the Congress (I), the CPI (M) and the CPI — would like the Government to give diplomacy a chance. The Congress (I), too, would like the Government to be pro-active in this regard. Hopefully, these suggestions would not go unheeded.

In the case of Pakistan, the exhortations — or the pressure — by various powers seem to have had some effect. Gen. Musharraf's latest statement is both the result of these exhortations and an opening, even though narrow for new initiatives.

In an interpretive write-up, the veteran columnist of the Urdu daily Jang, Irshad Ahmed Haqani, provides an interesting insight into Gen. Musharraf's meeting with editors and senior journalists on the situation created by India-Pakistan tensions. The Foreign Minister, Abdul Sattar, the columnist noted, painted a rosy picture of the stand of the international community towards Pakistan — that the world powers justified their position and were pressing India to withdraw its forces from the border in order to reduce tension, though the pressure was not strong enough and needed to be stepped up to compel New Delhi to give up the adventurist course. But the Foreign Secretary, Inam-ul Haq, when called upon by the President, presented a balanced picture — saying that Pakistan, too, was under pressure by the world powers to take a tougher stand against the jehadi forces and to block the movement of ``Kashmiri freedom fighters from Azad Kashmir to the occupied Kashmir''.

The columnist pointedly asked the General whether he would implement in letter and in spirit his January 12 announcement that the territory of Pakistan as also of ``Azad Kashmir'' would not be allowed to be used by the extremists. The General's reaction was also sought on a report that India recently provided to the U.S. the proof of 70 new training camps, now operating in ``Azad Kashmir''. The President, instead of giving a direct reply, put a counter-question as to whether the support to ``freedom fighters'' be stopped completely. The columnist replied without hesitation that all requirements mentioned on January 12 needed to be complied with fully.

Obviously such sentiments — also articulated during other consultative exercises undertaken by Gen. Musharraf on Wednesday — weighed with him when he issued an official statement that his government would not allow Pakistan's territory to be used for any terrorist activity anywhere in the world and that ``no organisation in Pakistan will be allowed to indulge in terrorism in the name of Kashmir''. The fact that the statement was issued after a joint meeting of the Federal Cabinet and the National Security Council was interpreted by Pakistani sources here as the end result of collective thinking of the top brass of the army and the civilian component of the Government and, as such, as carrying considerable weight. Implied in their elaborations was the point that concrete, tangible steps be expected on the ground, though they would not like to set a time-frame because of intrusive practical problems.

Sceptical because of the post-January 12 experience, official New Delhi did not look impressed by mere words and wondered whether matching action would be taken without much delay. However, diplomatic contacts continue — may even be intensified.

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