Date:05/10/2002 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2002/10/05/stories/2002100505280100.htm

Front Page

'Pak. failed all tests to end cross-border terrorism'

By Amit Baruah

NEW DELHI Oct. 4. India today said it continued to hope that Pakistan would "accept" the results of the successful elections in Jammu and Kashmir even as the Foreign Secretary, Kanwal Sibal, said that Islamabad had failed "all tests" to end cross-border terrorism.

Mr. Sibal said Pakistan continued to "ignite" terrorism and violence in India. Using harsh words against Pakistan and its President, Pervez Musharraf, he said Islamabad hoped to continue with its policy of "sustainable terrorism". Referring to Gen. Musharraf's comments on Gujarat, Mr. Sibal accused him of indirectly "inciting internal violence" in India.

Lauding the people of Jammu and Kashmir for braving the bullet to exercise their ballot, Mr. Sibal pointed out that the polling percentages in the three phases of the poll were "quite close to the kind of averages" Western nations had. In fact, these countries had an even lower turnout and did not have to face the kind of threats encountered by the people of Kashmir.

He said the people who had gone from "outside" (diplomats) did not see any particular irregularity or coercion and felt that the elections seemed to be free and fair. They were extremely complimentary about the manner in which the Election Commission had conducted the elections.

Stating that the elections had had a positive impact, Mr. Sibal said India had to wait and see how Pakistan reacted to the polls. About the higher degree of violence in the third phase, he felt that this was a sign of Pakistan's "frustration". All the indications from Pakistan, he said, demonstrated that Islamabad was as yet unwilling to draw the "right lessons" from the elections. If Pakistan still saw reason and ended cross-border terrorism, then the way could be opened to resume a dialogue.

Asked about the likely pressure from the international community after the polls in Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan to begin talks with Pakistan, Mr. Sibal posed a counter-question — on what basis could they ask for the resumption of talks? Had Pakistan fulfilled its commitments to the international community to end cross-border terrorism? Replying to his own question, Mr. Sibal said Gen. Musharraf had done nothing on that front. Pressure, he said, would mean that India was being unreasonable in some way and had to be pressed. First, the international community would have to tell us that Pakistan was being convincingly reasonable based on hard evidence.

Asked if India had broached the question of the two Pakistani nationals reportedly responsible for the Akshardham massacre with Islamabad, the Foreign Secretary said Pakistan had done nothing about the list of 20 terrorists presented to it. This was despite the fact that Interpol had issued "red corner" notices for all the 20 persons wanted by India, adding there had been no cooperation from Pakistan on the issue.

On the coming general elections under military rule in Pakistan, Mr. Sibal said that while the judgment of the international observers there was awaited, the purpose and end results of the process had already been compromised by the President acquiring all kinds of powers.

The Foreign Secretary said the formation of the National Security Council and the constitutional amendments introduced by Gen. Musharraf showed that the NSC would be the real power. Whatever (Government) emerged after the elections would not be the result of a free and fair process, he argued. The polls, he said, could be "free and fair within an overall unfree and unfair framework".