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Kasuri names seven countries for `joint monitoring' of LoC

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD APRIL 28. The Pakistan Foreign Minister, Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri, has named seven countries for consideration by India for "joint monitoring" of the Line of Control (LoC).

The countries identified are France, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, China, Saudi Arabia and Iran. The proposal is not new but this is the first time Pakistan has actually gone ahead and named the countries whose representatives could form part of the proposed joint panel. It is not immediately clear if Pakistan has obtained the consent of these countries.

The India-Pakistan row is so intricate that few would like to involve themselves in it.

Mr. Kasuri's suggestions come in the wake of charges of cross-border infiltration by Pakistan-based militants to disturb peace in the Valley and indulge in wanton killings.

Islamabad has consistently denied the charges. There is a minor variation in the standard response now. "Pakistan is neither sponsoring nor encouraging anyone into venturing into the Indian side of Kashmir. It does concede the possibility of some making it despite vigil".

In his interaction with the Janata Party president, Subramaniam Swamy, the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, had described those crossing over as "freelance jehadis". He had complained to Dr. Swamy that the decade-long Afghan war in the eighties had given birth to so many of them that it was beyond the control of the state to keep a check on them.

Gen. Musharraf had also asked Dr. Swamy to ponder whether it was correct to expect a relatively smaller Pakistani force to seal the porous border when a larger Indian contingent could not do so. In effect, he had sought to convey that the menace of `freelance jehadis' had to be collectively dealt with by India and Pakistan.

There lies the rub. For sometime now New Delhi has been proposing joint patrol of the LoC by forces of India and Pakistan. The offer was repeated by Prime Minister, A.B. Vajpayee, at the Almatty Summit in June last year.

However, Islamabad rejected the proposal on the plea that it was not feasible. The argument advanced by Pakistan was given the distrust and mistrust between India and Pakistan, the proposal was unworkable.

Mr. Kasuri told journalists in Lahore that Pakistan had always welcomed the role of neutral bodies to resolve the Kashmir issue. "As India is not willing to accept the increase in the number of U.N. observers at the LoC for, we want to get a clear picture regarding its allegations by engaging some sovereign state or states '', he said.

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