Pioneer News Service / New Delhi
The Pioneer
May 31, 1999
Title: PM accuses Pak of expansionist aims Author: Pioneer News Service / New Delhi Publication: The Pioneer Date: May 31, 1999 The Indian Government is in "no hurry" to receive Pakistan Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz in New Delhi as any such initiative could be considered only after foreign intruders in Kargil have been rooted out and their encampments obliterated. Sources in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) dismissed Mr Aziz's claims that he would be travelling to India as "quite premature." The task at hand for the Government was to complete the cleaning out operation along the Line of Control (LoC). The Government's tough stance was also evident when Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee bluntly told United Nation secretary general Kofi Annan that there was no reason for an envoy to visit India. If at all Mr Annan was keen to send an envoy, his destination should be Islamabad. Speaking to a gathering at his residence, the Prime Minister said: "Mr Annan rang me up last night to convey his proposal to send a special envoy to India and Pakistan to sort out the matter between the two countries, but I firmly told him that if at all an envoy has to be sent, he should go to Pakistan, and not India." Accusing Pakistan of harbouring an expansionist design, Mr Vajpayee said Islamabad was "eyeing" fresh areas in Jammu and Kashmir with a clear aim to occupy land on the Indian side of the LoC. One-third of the state was already under unauthorised Pakistan occupation. "We want to take back the areas under Pakistan's unauthorised occupation," he said. India wanted to resolve this issue through peaceful negotiations. The Indian establishment has been encouraged by the backing its action has received internationally. "There is no dearth of evidence that the Pakistan Army and Islamic zealots are engaged in what is practically a war. There is no question of negotiations while our men are dying in this action," senior sources said. With even the US conceding that India can be expected to take all action to vacate heavily armed intruders from its territory, the Government wants to take the actions of the Indian armed forces to their logical conclusion. In the present context, the government sees statements by Pakistani leaders like Mr Aziz lacking in any "substantive content." If the Pakistan Government was expecting that talk of negotiations would result in a let-up in Indian efforts, it was mistaken. It is pointed out that Mr Aziz is aiming more at creating an impression that there was a reluctance from the Indian side to resolve the conflict along the LoC. Mr Vajpayee said "Operation Vijay" to flush out intruders in Kargil would continue till its mission was accomplished as "we cannot tolerate their presence in our territory." "It is Pakistan which has attacked us and violated our territory to capture our land," Mr Vajpayee said, making it clear that India would never allow third-party mediation. Taking strong exception to Islamabad's latest efforts to internationalise Kashmir, he said such attempts had been made in the past too but they did not succeed and ultimately it was treated as a bilateral issue. "We are not shy of talks but we will not do so under fear." In a hard-hitting 30-minute speech, the Prime Minister said India did not begin the hostility. "In fact, we have always been trying for peace between the two neighbours." Mr Vajpayee accused Pakistan of "misusing" arms given to it by the US for its self-defence. "But those arms are being used to attack us," he said and cited the recent use of Stinger Missiles to shoot down IAF combat aircraft. Wondering how such missiles had landed in the hands of militants, he said Pakistani army personnel were present among the mercenaries, who received training from them. Reiterating India's resolve to chase out the infiltrators, the Prime Minister said: "We will drive them away. To free our territory, we will adopt any strategy that is required to crush them." Mr Vajpayee said that he had told Mr Nawaz Sharif that Islamabad must stop aiding and abetting cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. He was prepared to discuss all issues including Kashmir on the basis of Shimla Agreement and Lahore Declaration. Justifying the use of IAF combat aircraft, Mr Vajpayee said the Government was compelled to use them as the army was not in a position to move to the inaccessible terrains. "But, we have never crossed the LoC, unlike Pakistan infiltrators. The people do not want that the matter should be resolved through the barrels of gun."
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