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Fernandes rules out withdrawal of troops from border

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar

The Union Defence Minister, George Fernandes, on Thursday ruled out withdrawal of troops from the Pakistan border, but admitted that infiltration into India has 'almost ended' on the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

"The infiltration has almost ended and whatever is still taking place will stop too," Fernandes said, while talking to journalists at the inaugural function of business summit Kashmir Vision 2020 in the heavily guarded Centaur hotel on the banks of Dal Lake.

"The troops will remain on the borders and we will wait given the past experience," he said.

The defence minister said that militant activities inside Kashmir were continuing and there was no let up yet. "Only the infiltration of militants from across has almost stopped. The army is busy tackling militancy inside Kashmir valley."

The defence minister admitted the presence of Al Qaeda militants inside Kashmir, but added: "It takes time to get proof."

He said that full-fledged training camps in Pakistan have been converted to temporary camps, housed in tents, after the September 11 terrorist attacks on the US.

In reply to a question if Hurriyat leaders would be allowed to go to Pakistan occupied Kashmir as demanded by them on Wednesday, the defence minister said, "We will think over it."

Meanwhile, external affairs ministry spokesperson Nirupama Rao responding to questions on the Fernandes's statement said, "Much more needs to be done and the plumbing has to be pulled out."

"The infrastructure of the 60 to 70 terrorist camps in Pakistan occupied Kashmir has to be dismantled. Infiltration is not the be-all and end-all of the problem," she said.

Asked whether India would be sending its envoy to Islamabad and lifting rail and road restrictions, following the lowering of Indo-Pak tensions, she said it was 'too premature' to comment.

Asked whether the US would waive its travel advisory forbidding American tourists to travel to India, Rao said, "You can ask the Americans. We have never said that the US travel advisory was warranted."

With inputs from Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

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