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India allows Pak. overflights

By C. Raja Mohan

NEW DELHI JUNE 10. Responding positively to the visible decline in terrorist infiltration from across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir over the last two weeks, India today took the first steps towards easing the six-month-long standoff with Pakistan.

The calibrated reaction by the Government today involved decisions to reopen its skies to the overflight of Pakistani aircraft, identify a new envoy to Islamabad and order some naval ships in the Arabian Sea to their home bases.

The key decision on the naval front is designed to reflect India's readiness to reduce the military tensions with Pakistan "in tandem with Islamabad's progress on ending cross-border terrorism'', well-placed sources here say.

The Government does not expect to announce more actions towards de-escalation in the immediate future.

"India will consider additional steps only when Pakistan moves further down the road towards dismantling the infrastructure of cross-border terrorism,'' the sources add.

During his visit to the region last week, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Richard Armitage, had conveyed the pledge from Gen. Musharraf to end cross-border infiltration on a permanent basis. In return, India had agreed to respond "appropriately'' when the Pakistani pledges were implemented.

The formal announcement by the Government today related only to the lifting of the overflight ban that was imposed in January following the December 13 attack on Parliament.

The spokesperson of the Foreign Office clarified that the decision did not involve the restoration of air links between the two countries. Direct flights between Indian cities and those in Pakistan would have to wait for a little longer.

India has also identified a senior foreign service officer, Harsh Bhasin, as its new High Commissioner to Pakistan. Mr. Bhasin is already in the capital and preparing for his assignment.

It may be recalled that the envoy to Pakistan, Vijay Nambiar, was recalled on December 21. Sources in the Government say the decision for the moment is only about "selecting'' the envoy and the process of sending him to Islamabad has not yet been initiated.

India is carefully choosing its move so as to ensure that the diplomatic and military de-escalation is incremental and in proportion to the progress in Pakistan on controlling cross-border terrorism.

The decisions on lifting the overflight ban and the selection of the envoy were officially communciated to the Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan, Jaleel Abbas Jilani, who was called to the Foreign Office this afternoon.

The decisions come a day before the U.S. Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, arrives in India. Diplomatic sources say the actions were expected and in "the right direction''. They particularly welcome the decision to pull back some of the naval ships massed in the Arabian Sea after December 13 and reinforced since May 14.

The decision on the naval front was not formally announced by the Government today but informed sources say orders have already been issued to the Navy.

Mr. Rumsfeld might want to explore the Government's readiness to further ease the offensive posture of the Indian armed forces by reducing their alert status and pulling back the tank forces away from the border.

Pakistan too will be keen on seeing more Indian steps on the border, but New Delhi appears reluctant to go further down the road until there is evidence of additional steps from Pakistan, sources here say.

India is concerned that new acts of terrorism in Kashmir could undermine the domestic political support to a process of military de-escalation with Pakistan.

Mr. Rumsfeld will have a full round of consultations with Indian leaders on Wednesday morning before leaving for Pakistan in the afternoon.

The British Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, today called the External Affairs Minister, Jaswant Singh, over phone. Mr. Singh informed his counterpart of the Indian decision to de-escalate.

The two sides agreed that Islamabad must do more to instil a sense of confidence in New Delhi, and Mr. Straw said Britain would continue to press Pakistan to fulfil its international obligations to eliminate the sources of terrorism on its soil.

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