|
DIPLOMACY: PAKISTAN POLICY
Flexibility With Firmness
|
|
|
|
|
PIVOT: India expects Musharraf to relent
|
According to Government
sources, Delhi has formulated an approach of "flexibility in dialogue
while being firm on the ground" towards Islamabad. While reiterating
its commitment to the dialogue process with Pakistan, the Vajpayee Government
has decided to take tough measures on the ground to counter cross-border
terrorism. Delhi's resolve was evident on August 19 when nine Pakistani
soldiers and three "civilians" were killed in an Indian retaliation
in the Rajouri sector of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan, however, has hotly
denied knowledge of any such incident.
As part of its strategy to bring down violence
in Jammu and Kashmir, the army recently designated the area within 4 km
of the 740-km Line of Control (loc) as a counter-infiltration zone. The
plan is to neutralise infiltration in this area and retaliate against
any artillery and mortar firing by Pakistan. The counter-infiltration
strategy includes equipping troops with surveillance devices and going
for the dynamic deployment of forces with the adequate support of quick-reaction
teams. With Musharraf equating terrorism in the Valley to a freedom struggle,
Delhi is clear that it will have to tackle pan-Islamic jehadis on its
own.
Coupled with this counter-infiltration plan is
Delhi's desire to implement the confidence building measures (CBMs) it
announced in the run-up to the Agra Summit. The Ministry of External Affairs
(MEA) is expected to offer 20 scholarships to Pakistani students for studying
in Indian technical institutions soon. The Human Resource Development
Ministry forwards around 300 scholarships to the MEA for providing technical
education to foreign students each year. The country-wide allocation of
the scholarships is then carried out by the MEA. The CBMs relating to
cultural and student exchange programmes are on the anvil and are also
said to be coming through in a few weeks. The Commerce Ministry, officials
say, has also identified 50 items on which customs duties will be reduced
by up to 50 per cent in order to facilitate Pakistani imports. The final
directions are awaiting the Government's nod.
However, key CBMs-such as opening the Uri-Chakoti
road to facilitate cross-loc movement of Kashmiri people and linking Munnabao
in Rajasthan to Kokrapar in Sindh province-will have to wait for a Pakistani
green signal. In fact, Islamabad has still not agreed to an expert group
meeting to implement the protocol signed at Lahore on nuclear risk-reduction
matters till there is a forward movement on the Kashmir issue. The proposed
meeting of the director-generals of military operations (DGMO) of India
and Pakistan has been held in abeyance for the same reason.
Senior army officials confirm that Lt-General
G.S. Sihota, DGMO, India, is still awaiting a Pakistani invitation to
initiate a military-to-military exchange between the two adversaries.
They say Delhi has given no instructions to date to implement the unveiling
of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road by opening check posts at Uri on the
Indian side. In a sense, there is a total gridlock as far as the military
or nuclear CBMs are concerned. It is unlikely that the proposed meeting
of the two leaders at New York will lead to a way out of this imbroglio.
Michael Krepon of the Stimson Center, a US think
tank, says Delhi's purpose can best be realised by a serious reduction
in violence in Kashmir and an agreement on structured dialogue at the
political level that gives prominence to Kashmir, peace, security and
nuclear risk reduction, as well as terrorism.
Government sources say that India is committed
to the meeting of the two foreign ministers and a summit in Islamabad.
However, the dates for these discussions are still under consideration
and depend on how the situation unfolds itself in the coming months. While
there is no doubt that the "caravan of peace" will move forward,
what is intriguing is the pace at which it's going towards the destination.
|
METRO TODAY
Web
Exclusives
