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Ball in Pak. court: India

By C. Raja Mohan

NEW DELHI JUNE 11. Further steps by the Government to scale down its military posture on the western borders are linked to "tangible and measurable'' progress in dismantling the infrastructure of terrorism on Pakistan's soil, well-placed Government sources say.

In the talks with the visiting United States Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, tomorrow, the Indian leaders are expected to emphasise the importance of "a permanent, irreversible and comprehensive'' attack on the sources of terrorism in Pakistan.

Mr. Rumsfeld, who arrived here this evening on a crucial mission to avert the danger of a war in the subcontinent, has decided to extend his stay in the capital till late evening. He hopes to move New Delhi and Islamabad towards a series of reciprocal actions — Pakistan should crack down on cross-border terrorism and India should de-escalate the military confrontation.

Pakistan has pledged to end cross-border infiltration on a permanent basis and India responded by a set of diplomatic and military steps on Monday.

Mr. Rumsfeld would want to convert this initial positive movement into a virtuous cycle of mutually reinforcing actions that will reduce tensions and create the conditions for a political dialogue. It is in that context that there is talk of the international community seeking additional steps from India to ease military tensions. These could include a reduction in the alert status of the Army and the withdrawal of offensive forces, such as aircraft and tank formations, from forward positions near the International Border with Pakistan. But India believes, for now the ball is in Pakistan's court. In the talks with Mr. Rumsfeld, India is likely to reaffirm its "deep appreciation'' of the efforts of the Bush administration to foster peace in the subcontinent.

The Foreign Office spokeswoman said today that ''India values the inputs from the United States'' in assessing the situation on the ground with Pakistan. At the same time, India is likely underline four important concerns to Mr. Rumsfeld on the question of de-escalating the military confrontation with Pakistan.

First, cross-border infiltration, which has noticeably come down over the last two weeks, must become a permanent feature as the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, has pledged to the U.S.

Second, Gen. Musharraf must not be given the impression that he can get away by dealing with just one element of cross-border terrorism — infiltration. India wants Washington to sustain pressure on him to disband the training camps for terrorists and the sources of their financing.

Third, the proposed Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir this autumn will be a fundamental test of Gen. Musharraf's sincerity in abandoning terrorism as an instrument of state policy. Will Pakistan avoid the temptation of disrupting the elections in Kashmir through violence and create conditions for a political reconciliation within the State?

Fourth, India would want assurances from the U.S. that it would not turn its back on the sources of terrorism in Pakistan, once the threat of war in the subcontinent recedes as India takes de-escalation measures.

The Foreign Office today dismissed once again the speculation that Mr. Rumsfeld is coming here with a proposal for an Anglo-American airborne monitoring force on the Line of Control. Both the U.S. and the U.K. have apparently informed India that there is no such proposal.

Mr. Rumsfeld will start tomorrow with a breakfast engagement with the National Security Adviser, Brajesh Mishra, and move on to consultations with the External Affairs Minister, Jaswant Singh, the Union Home Minister, L.K. Advani, and the Defence Minister, George Fernandes. After calling on the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, he will leave for Pakistan.

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