Date:17/10/2002 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2002/10/17/stories/2002101707350101.htm

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Pak. declines comment

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD OCT. 16. Islamabad declined to formally react to New Delhi's decision of withdrawing its troops from the International Border, saying it needed to get ``full details'' of the announcement.

The Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman, Aziz Ahmed Khan, said "we have heard the news on the media. We need to get all the details of the decision. So a formal reaction to the development is not expected before tomorrow.''

A senior official in the Foreign Ministry said that while there was little doubt that the pullback was a ``welcome development,'' the Government was awaiting more details on whether it was confined to the deployment on the IB or covered the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir as well.

Indications are that the Musharraf Government would reciprocate.

At the same time, senior Government functionaries are convinced that resumption of dialogue is a long way off.