M A I N   N E W S

Rail link ‘not to be snapped’

ISLAMABAD, April 8 (PTI) — Pakistan today ruled out any immediate threat of closure of rail link with India and hoped Islamabad and New Delhi would sort out differences over the supply of rakes for the Lahore-Amritsar Samjhauta Express.

“There is no serious threat of stopping the service and the two sides would be able to sort out the problem,” Foreign Office spokesman Tariq Altaf told reporters here.

The spokesman accused India of not honouring commitment under an agreement to provide rolling stock for half the year. Under the agreement, the Samjhauta Express runs alternately on rakes provided by Pakistan and India each for six months.

“Since November 1994, the train has been running on the Pakistani rake. In June 1999, the Indian Government was requested to provide rake for the second half of the year. While seeking clarifications, the Indian Government asked Pakistan to continue the prevailing arrangements till the agreement came up for a renewal in July 2000,” the spokesman said.

He said after receipt of clarifications, The Indian railway authorities conveyed their agreement on December 2, 1999 to provide a rake for six months starting on December 16, 1999.

“They, however, did not implement the agreement. Nor have they, during this period, asked for any meeting between the two sides to discuss the issue of contributing rake, as claimed by the Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Railways in New Delhi,” the spokesman said.

“India failed to live up to its commitment of December 1999 to contribute a rake for the service between Lahore and Amritsar, despite our assurances to provide the repair facilities at Lahore,” he added.

Meanwhile, Pakistan today said India’s rejection of its offer to hold talks was contrary to the will of the international community and accused New Delhi of carrying a propaganda war against Islamabad to divert world attention from the situation in Kashmir.

“We think, by rejecting dialogue (offer), they (India) are going against the trend of the times and against the will of the international community,” the spokesman said.

“Their purpose is to continue to drum up propaganda against Pakistan as a smokescreen to divert international attention” from the situation in Kashmir, Altaf said.

“Parroting allegations of infiltration would take them nowhere,” he said, adding “we have repeatedly offered to mutually agree on mechanism, which would permit monitoring of the Line of Control. That is a serious approach. Repeatedly trotting out of unsubstantiated allegations is not”.

“If they consider infiltration is an issue, then why they do not come to the negotiation table,” he questioned and said “our offer for talks still remains on table”.

Referring to Union Home Minister L.K. Advani’s statement that government was ready to hold talks with separatist groups of Kashmir within the framework of Indian Constitution and if militant violence ended, Altaf said “this is mere propaganda intended to create a facade of sweet reasonableness and not a serious attempt to sincerely initiate a process of resolution of the Kashmir dispute.

“It is primarily intended to create the impression internationally that India is willing to talk to the Kashmiris and is also an effort to sow dissension which is bound to fail”.

The Hurriyat Conference leaders, in their comments on the offer, have stated that they will respond to any proposal only in case tripartite talks are held, Altaf said.

He also denied any Pakistan connection with the nuclear material-laden trucks seized while allegedly on their way to Pakistan.