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Big powers' stand reduced tension: Advani

New Delhi June 20. Tension between India and Pakistan has lessened ``primarily'' because of the stand taken by the United States, Russia and Britain, but New Delhi will make its own assessment of the situation based on ground realities, the Union Home Minister, L.K. Advani, has said.

``Lessening of (Indo-Pak.) tension is primarily because these great powers have now taken a stand... now the word is not from Pakistan but from the leaders of these countries which are leading the global coalition against terrorism," Mr. Advani said in the ``Talk Back'' programme on Doordarshan.

``We will not judge Pakistan any longer by its words.... we will go entirely by what we perceive on the ground,'' he said.

Mr. Advani said six months after the attack on Parliament, ``we have not done anything. But we are still told (by the world community) to exercise restraint.''

Referring to the recent statements by the U.S. President, George W. Bush, the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, and the British Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, that Islamabad had not kept its word and was continuing to support cross-border terrorism, he said, ``I am happy to note that these leaders echoed almost everything we have been saying so far.''

On holding of talks with Pakistan, the Home Minister said India was willing to discuss all issues, including Kashmir, but ``only after Pakistan abandoned cross-border terrorism as an instrument of state policy''.

Stating that differences could only be resolved through dialogue, he said two issues — terrorism and Indo-Pak. differences over Kashmir — ``cannot be mixed up''.

He claimed that it had been ``a conscious decision'' of Pakistan's former President, Zia-ul Haq, to launch a ``proxy war'' after having lost three full-scale wars against India.

But the September 11 terrorist strikes were a ``turning point'' which led to global realisation of the menace of terrorism.

Stressing that there were more Muslims in India than in any other country except Indonesia, he said India had had ``traditionally a secular polity'' and Jews and Parsis had settled here for long and, like others, never discriminated against.

He reiterated his position on the creation of a confederation between India and Pakistan in future and said this should also include Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. — PTI

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