The Hindu : 'No dilution of U.K. line on terrorism'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 01, 2003

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'No dilution of U.K. line on terrorism'

By C. Raja Mohan

NEW DELHI April 30. There is no dilution of the United Kingdom's commitment to secure an end to cross-border terrorism against India but ultimately it is up to New Delhi and Islamabad to compose their differences, the British High Commissioner, Sir Rob Young, said here today.

In a conversation with The Hindu, Sir Rob was responding to scepticism in New Delhi about the credibility of the Anglo-American powers in getting Pakistan to stop cross-border terrorism. "We understand India's position on cross-border terrorism. We also say that in the end this is an issue which could only be resolved through negotiations between India and Pakistan," the British envoy said.

Amid a heightened threat of war between India and Pakistan last summer, Britain along with the United States had secured verbal commitments from Pervez Musharraf to stop cross-border infiltration on a permanent basis. These assurances conveyed by Britain and the U.S. to India led to the decision in New Delhi last June to stand down in the military confrontation with Pakistan.

There has been deep disappointment in India that Washington and London have not held Gen. Musharraf's feet to fire. Sir Rob conceded that there was "some way to go" in getting Pakistan to keep its word on cross-border terrorism against India. "Our commitment to see an end to terrorism remains the same. We have not diluted the objective," he said. Britain and the U.S., he said, "will continue to work with Pakistan to achieve a permanent end to cross-border terrorism".

Asked about concrete results in the near future, the High Commissioner pointed to the heightened Anglo-American diplomatic activism in the region. "I very much hope that we are in a period of movement." He also insisted that there was no change in the British position on the sequence of a potential peace process between India and Pakistan.

Last summer, Britain and the U.S. had declared that a dialogue between India and Pakistan should follow an end to terrorism and de-escalation of tensions in the subcontinent.

The High Commissioner insisted that Britain "wants to see the conditions created as soon as possible for a meaningful dialogue'' between India and Pakistan. Britain has welcomed the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee's decision to extend the hand of friendship to Pakistan and the consequent change in the tone of public exchanges between the two countries.

On the Indian concerns about rising incidents of violence after Mr. Vajpayee's peace initiative, the envoy pointed to Britain's experience in Ireland. Whenever there is a prospect for peace, those opposed to it step up violence, he said.

"It is important to ride this out" and not let extremists sabotage the peace process, Sir Rob added.

On the political situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the envoy said he saw rising hopes for peace, development and prosperity after the elections last year. The popular sense in the State, according to Sir Rob, is that "things were changing" and that the new Government was "making a difference".

Asked about the negative role of the Hurriyat leaders in Kashmir, Sir Rob said Britain had consistently urged that "all groups should renounce violence and take part in the political process".

"That applies to elections, it applies to N.N. Vohra's mission and future political processes which might occur."

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