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India flays Musharraf on infiltration

India on Thursday lashed out at Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf for saying that he had not given any timeframe to the international community on stopping infiltration across the Line Of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

Coming out strongly against Musharraf's remarks in an interview to BBC, external affairs ministry spokesperson Nirupama Rao said: "His latest statement suggests that he will end infiltration only when he finds it opportune; in other words, Pakistan will continue to use terrorism as an instrument of State policy."

She said, "If there was room in further lowering the sincerity and credibility of Pakistan's statements, then that space has been found."

Musharraf had said that "we have not given any time limits. I said nothing is happening across the Line of Control. But of course one can imagine, unless there is some progress, some movement on [the] Kashmir [issue], some response and some reciprocation from the Indian side... How long will all this remain quiet for no movement on Kashmir?"

Rao said, "We do not wish to get into the game of reacting each time General Musharraf makes his habitual pronouncements on the issue of his country's involvement in terrorism directed against India. But we cannot fail to note that his declaration to BBC that he has not given any timeframe to the international community with regard to stopping infiltration across the Line of Control is coming in the wake of the visit of US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage to Islamabad last week."

The spokesperson said Musharraf "continues to play with contradictions by, on the one hand, saying that there is nothing happening across the LoC and, on the other hand, admitting that infiltration continues by what he describes as 'rogue militants'."

US Secretary of State Colin Powell and other interlocutors after meeting Musharraf had conveyed to India that the Pakistan president had given the assurance of taking visible steps for permanently ending infiltration.

New Delhi has made it clear that a litmus test of Pakistan's intentions in this regard would be seen in the run-up to and during the coming assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir.

Terrorism Strikes in Jammu and Kashmir: The complete coverage

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