Flying machines new turn to proxy war: Advani
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Nov 7 — Describing two mini pilotless aircraft, seized by the police from Kalakot forest belt on Wednesday, as flying bombs Union Home Minister, L. K. Advani said that smuggling of such sophisticated weapons from across Pakistan had "given new dimensions to the ongoing proxy war."

Soon after his arrival in Jammu on a day's visit today Mr Advani told reporters that seizure of the "flying bombs" had given new sinister dimensions to the Pak "sponsored cross border terrorism".

He said the Government had taken a "serious cognisance" of this development and counter insurgency measures would be intensified and security forces equipped with better weapons to deal firmly with militants.

Mr Advani disclosed that the Centre had referred to the CBI the issue of ISI agents being "activised" in India for disrupting peace. He said the CBI had been asked to identify politicians and bigwigs giving shelter and assistance to ISI agents.

Blaming Pakistan for adopting "insincere" attitude during the ongoing Indo-Pakistan talks in Delhi Mr Advani said Islamabad was simply interested in making a "show" of its willingness to hold parleys. He said on one hand Islamabad agreed to hold bilateral talks but on the other hand stepped up infiltration and arms smuggling from across the border for giving teeth to the eight-year-long proxy war.

He made it clear that India was for continuing talks within the ambit of the Simla Agreement. He ruled out the scope of any third party mediation and said India had already conveyed to the USA that it was not in favour of any third country to mediate bilateral matters between India and Pakistan. In this connection he claimed that the US Government had appreciated "our stand." He said the American Ambassador to India, who had visited Kashmir recently, had told me that the situation has changed for better and there is shift to normalcy.

To a question he said even if India and Pakistan have a "diametrically opposite stand on the Kashmir issue, talks will continue" adding that Kashmir "is an integral part of India."