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Pakistan Suggests Deployment Of Multinational Force On LOC
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| Pakistan counters Indian allegations of cross-border terrorism |
ISLAMABAD, Jan. 11 (IslamOnline) - Pakistan suggested Friday the deployment of a multinational force across the Line of Control (LoC) to monitor what India describes as cross-border terrorism in Indian-held Kashmir.
"Pakistan is willing to accept deployment of multinational or U.N. forces on both sides of the Line of Control to monitor the Indian accusations of cross-border terrorism so that any misconception about them could be dispelled," Pakistan Foreign Office Spokesman, Aziz Ahmed Khan, said Friday, January 11, at a Press briefing in Islamabad.
The Foreign Office warned that the danger of an "accidental outbreak" could not be ruled out so long as the Indian and Pakistani forces remained massively deployed on the borders amid high tension.
Because of this danger, Khan stressed, Pakistan had been asking India to start talks and reduce tension by withdrawing forces to their peace time locations.
The spokesman, however, emphasized that Pakistan had taken needed defensive measures against any possible Indian aggression and was prepared to face war across borders.
The spokesman recalled a number of initiatives Pakistan had taken to defuse the rising tensions since the attack on the Indian parliament, which India blames -- without concrete evidence -- on Pakistani militant groups.
Pakistan's President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, had urged India to sit on the negotiating table at which all contentious issues, including Kashmir, could be discussed and an attempt could be made to resolve the disputes peacefully.
The President renewed the call during the recent SAARC summit in Kathmandu when he shook Indian Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee's hand and pressed him to open dialogue.
Khan rejected any comparison -- as implied in a reporter's question -- between terrorism and the freedom struggle in Kashmir. He pointed out that the freedom struggle was aimed at achieving the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination as assured in various U.N. resolutions supported by the international community and promised by the Indian leadership as well.
The U.N. resolution was as sacred as any other U.N. resolutions, he stressed, wondering how could the freedom struggle in Kashmir be termed terrorism.
The spokesman said that the U.S. government had appreciated what the Pakistan government had been doing to help the international community in its strikes against terrorism in Afghanistan, and U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell, had expressed satisfaction at the assistance Pakistan had extended in this regard.
Khan denied that a number of Al-Qaeda key members had crossed into Pakistan. He said Islamabad had ensured assistance at the border vigilance to prevent any illegal crossing and added that a large number of suspected persons had been rounded up.
In answer to a question, he said that the program of Powell's visit to Islamabad was being prepared and it would be officially announced when the date of the secretary's arrival had been finalized.
Khan said that steps for re-establishing diplomatic missions in Pakistan and Afghanistan were being taken. Pakistani teams had visited Kabul in this regard.
Responding to a query on Pak-Afghan cooperation, Khan said a two-member delegation of the Afghan interim government would be visiting Pakistan soon.
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