Pak links CTBT with Kashmir

WASHINGTON, Dec 4 (UNI) — Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has given an altogether new twist to his government’s stand on the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), linking Islamabad’s signing of the pact with the Kashmir issue.

Addressing a press conference yesterday, a day after his White House meeting with President Bill Clinton, he spelt out specific conditions which had to be met before his government agreed to the signing and the ratification of the CTBT.

"Pakistan supports the CTBT but we can not sign the CTBT in an atmosphere of coercion and pressure," he added.

Then he listed the conditions the sanctions must be removed, the issue of Kashmir must be meaningfully addressed and all (economic and other) embargoes on Pakistan must be lifted. Pakistan feels this is very "unfair."

According to observers, Mr Sharif has, for the first time, brought in Kashmir as a bargaining point in its non-proliferation dialogue with the USA.

Mr Sharif blamed India’s nuclear tests for Pakistan following the suit. He said Pakistan had offered a strategic restraint regime to India, aimed at preventing a nuclear arms race and nuclear conflict. "our proposal envisages a risk reduction mechanism and the establishment of deterrence at a minimum level," he added.

The Prime Minister, who yesterday failed to persuade President Clinton to agree to the mediation in Kashmir, said the international community had an obligation to demand the full implementation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions which guaranteed to the Kashmiris the right of self-determination.

"The resolutions of the Security Council are not time bound nor open to selective implementation. They remained valid till they are implemented or abrogated through a subsequent resolution," he added.

Mr Sharif said: "India must give right of self-determination to Kashmir and Pakistan will continue to support politically, diplomatically and morally, the people of Kashmir and their struggle."

He also hinted at the possibility of Pakistan helping the USA in apprehending Osama bin Laden, currently living in Afghanistan, and bring him to the USA for a trial for his alleged involvement in the recent bombings of the US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

Mr Sharif said he also discussed Osama bin Laden, the man accused of orchestrating the US Embassy bombings in Tanzania and Kenya, during meetings with President Clinton and other US officials. But he declined to say whether the administration asked him to take specific steps to help apprehend Bin Laden.

The Clinton Administration is pressing Pakistan to sign the CTBT and to move away from further development of a nuclear weapons capability.

Mr Sharif has met US Defence Secretary William Cohen and discussed the possibility of renewing military cooperation between his country and the USA.

A Pentagon spokesman, after the meeting yesterday, said that broadly was one of the questions, "but the more immediate question was what steps can Pakistan take to address our concerns about non-proliferation that would be necessary in order to help re-establish a fuller military relationship."

He said the Secretary also discussed "our concerns about proliferation and other areas of bilateral and regional interest."

They also exchanged views on the dispute between the two countries on the non-delivery of 28 F-16 fighter aircraft, the cost of which Pakistan had paid before 1990 but the planes were not transferred in protest against Islamabad’s nuclear weapons programmes.

ISLAMABAD, PTI: Pakistan has said that while it has delinked its stand on the CTBT from the Indian position, it is closely monitoring Indo-US Negotiations on the issue as nuclear deterrence is fundamental to Islamabad’s security in view of New Delhi’s two-one superiority in conventional arms.

"Following our tests, we do not consider it necessary to link our position on the CTBT with India," Pakistani Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Siddique Kanju said here on Thursday. "Nevertheless, we are closely following the Indian negotiations with the USA on this issue."

The USA has held several rounds of talks with both India and Pakistan since their tests in May to persuade both nations to sign the CTBT in a bid to check the tests’ fallout on global proliferation goals.

Addressing the inaugural session of a seminar on Peace and Security in South Asia, Mr Kanju said there was an "urgent need" for both India and Pakistan to promote "understanding and stability" to avoid a nuclear arms race in the region.

He also warned that if Kashmir, the "core issue that is the source of tension in South Asia is not resolved the security situation would further deteriorate and may even lead to "nuclear escalation".

Two Pak posts captured
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Dec 4 — After a fierce gun battle, the Indian troops are said to have captured two Pak posts of Maya Garage and Gali Khera Morh across the Bijhama area of the Uri sector during the past 24 hours.

Since Wednesday Pak troops have resorted to heavy shelling on villages and pickets in Bijhama, Grija Gali and Malangaam of Uri. The Indian troops retaliated with artillery and long-range guns demolishing half-a-dozen Pak bunkers. Across Bijhama the Pak troops were overpowered after six soldiers were killed in Indian retaliatory fire. As many as 13 Pak soldiers were captured, including Major Javed.

After the killing of six soldiers and capturing 13 Pak Army personnel and two pickets the Pak soldiers mounted heavy offensive and fired scores of artillery shells on the Indian villages and pickets. Reports said that two Indian Army jawans were injured.

Exchange of fire continues in Uri.

SRINAGAR (PTI): Security forces foiled Pakistan’s bid to push a group of heavily-armed militants into Jammu and Kashmir and killed six militants besides arresting two since last evening, an official spokesman said here today.

Militants, on the other hand, kidnapped two teenagers and detonated a powerful explosion outside a security force camp in the state during the period, the spokesman said.

Security forces along the Pakistan border noticed a group of heavily-armed militants trying to sneak into the state in the Nadiyala-Chingas sector of Rajouri district yesterday.

The militants were challenged and chased back into Pakistani territory by the security forces, he said, adding that an encounter ensued between the army and the militants but there was no report of any casualty on either side.

The militants left behind two AK assault rifles with loaded magazines and three bags containing ammunition.

Two Hizbul Mujahideen militants were killed in an encounter with security forces at Qila Mohalla in the Bhaderwah area of Doda district last evening. A sniper rifle, an AK-47 rifle, a pistol and some ammunition and grenades were seized from them.

Four militants of the Hizbul Mujahideen identified as Nisar Ahmad Khan alias Arif, Ghulam Hassan Bhat alias Umer, Abdul Salam Hajam alias Zahid and Mohammad Younis Waza were killed in an encounter at Ganiegund in the Pahalgam area of Anantnag last night.

Four AK assault rifles were seized from them.

A group of unidentified militants abducted two teenaged boys, Dileep Singh and Gareeb Singh, from the Manshiva-Kashtigarh area in Doda district last evening.

An IED exploded in front of a security force camp at Manjikot in Rajouri district yesterday, damaging a building in the camp.

The police repulsed a militant attack on the house of Sheer Dil at Sheeri in Baramula district last night. No one was injured in the shootout.

Two militants identified as Gowhar Ahmad Khan alias Gowhar and Abdul Rashid Bhat were arrested by the special task force at Veer-Chattabal and Kathidarwaz in Srinagar.