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Thursday, February 14, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Vajpayee rebutts Pak claim on N-test Agra, February 13 “Nothing can be far from truth. The world is aware of India’s policy of not to conduct any further nuclear tests. This appears to be a new disinformation propaganda launched by Pakistan to garner support against India,” Mr Vajpayee said while addressing an election rally in the city today. General Musharraf had reportedly said in an interview in Washington yesterday that India might have secretly carried out a nuclear test and termed it as provocative. The USA has, however, categorically denied this. The Prime Minister charged Pakistan with engaging in a deliberate disinformation campaign against India and cautioned that Islamabad’s attempts to secure third party intervention, possibly the USA, was not
acceptable to New Delhi. “India will not tolerate any third-party intervention and the country is prepared to protect the country’s territorial integrity. Kashmir is a bilateral problem between India and Pakistan and will continue to remain so. The world knows about our standpoint,” he reaffirmed. On the arrest of Omar Sheikh, the prime suspect in the kidnapping of US journalist Daniel Pearl yesterday in Pakistan, the Prime Minister ridiculed it by saying that the authorities were waiting for the right moment to arrest him. “I do not think anybody can camouflage and hide in Pakistan,” he observed. Earlier the Pakistani authorities sought to disinform the world that India was involved in it and “this is nothing but an example of the negative propaganda war unleashed by Islamabad.” He was critical of Pakistan for continuing to harp that India was not prepared to resume the stalled dialogue. There had to be a basis for talks. To create the right atmosphere for the bilateral talks, Pakistan first has to stop infiltration and cross-border terrorism, Mr Vajpayee said. He had no doubt that if Pakistan wished, it was in a position to end state sponsorship of terrorism. “If it (the present army regime) is not capable of doing this, then I do not think there is any point in talking,” Mr Vajpayee said. Taking a dig at former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Mr Vajpayee said if he (Mr Sharif) was now saying that he was unaware of any developments on his country’s frontiers then he must be lying. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister said the BJP was the only party which could provide stability to the nation. He said despite recession the world over, the Indian economy was looking up. Per capita income had increased and the country was making progress in almost all fields. |
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India has tested N-device: Pervez Washington, February 13 In a speech to two US think-tanks here, General Musharraf, who will be making his first visit to the White House, also pleaded for outside mediation and propounded four steps to resolve the Kashmir issue. “The missile test carried out by India and some information, some news even, of may be a possibility of a nuclear test is most untimely and may I also say provocative,” he told the meeting hosted by Woodrow Wilson Institute and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Asked to clarify his nuclear test
He did not elaborate further, nor did he provide proposed dates or locations of the alleged tests. He also did not say when did he pass on the information to the US leadership. Reacting to General Musharraf’s claim, US State Department officials said they had not heard of any such thing. “We are pleased that there have been no nuclear tests since 1998, and we expect that there will be no more nuclear from either side,” a senior Bush Administration official said. In New Delhi, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson termed the allegation as yet another “kite flying” by Pakistan. “We have a number of such wild allegations in recent days. Such allegations are completely false and we reject them in their entirety,” the spokesperson said. On the Kashmir issue, he said though the Simla Agreement called for bilateral resolution of disputes, “bilateralism has failed, and therefore, I believe there is a requirement for mediation, or facilitation in resolving the disputes between India and Pakistan.” Kashmir was a “dispute” and on such contentious issues one needed to go by step by step, he said suggesting a four-point approach to resolve the issue. Step one, he said, would be the process of dialogue. Step two: “Let us accept the centrality of the Kashmir dispute to be resolved to have better relations between India and Pakistan, and all other issues.”
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Extradition linked to resumption of talks: Pak Islamabad, February 13 Reacting to the latest demarche given to the Deputy Pakistan High Commissioner in New Delhi by the Indian Government demanding the Pakistan Government expedite the extradition of 20 men, a Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman in a brief statement said this issue would be discussed if a comprehensive dialogue began between the two countries. “Pakistan has repeatedly voiced its readiness to discuss this and all other issues once a comprehensive dialogue between the countries is resumed,” he said. Pakistan had earlier said it would come out with its own list of wanted criminals and terrorists to be extradited from India amid reports that the name of Home Minister
L.K. Advani would be on the list. It has so far not submitted any list of wanted persons to India.
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Withdraw troops, begin talks: Pervez
Washington, February 13 The Pakistan President said he had informed Mr George W. Bush of a “massive and aggressive” buildup of Indian troops on the border. Emerging with General Musharraf after their first-ever meeting at the White House, Mr Bush told reporters that the USA would encourage the two countries to start a “meaningful and serious dialogue” to resolve the Kashmir issue. “We will continue to press for it,” he said. Praising General Musharraf for the tough decisions he had taken in the fight against terrorism, Mr Bush referred to observations that it was not a short-term measure. He described Pakistan as a key partner in the global fight against terror. On the abducted US journalist Daniel Pearl, General Musharraf said he was “reasonably sure” that Pearl was alive, talking to reporters at the White House after meeting the US President. “We are as close as possible to getting Pearl released,” he said on the kidnapping of the Wall Street Journal reporter from Karachi. “I very much hope that, with all our efforts, and the combined efforts from all intelligence agencies in Pakistan, we will be able to get Pearl released”, General Musharraf said. Saying that he discussed Pearl’s
kidnapping with Mr Bush at the Oval Office, he said the abduction appeared to be a fallout of his crackdown on Islamic militants. “We are not deterred. These kinds of things were expected”, the Pakistani President said. Earlier, General Musharraf charged India that it might have carried out a new nuclear test, an allegation immediately rejected by both New Delhi and Washington. In a speech to two US think-tanks here, General Musharraf, also pleaded for outside mediation and propounded four steps to resolve the Kashmir issue. “The missile test carried out by India and some information, some news even, of may be a possibility of a nuclear test is most untimely and may I also say provocative,” he told the meeting hosted by Woodrow Wilson Institute and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Asked to clarify his nuclear test He did not elaborate further, nor did he provide proposed dates or locations of the alleged tests. He also did not say when did he pass on the information to the US leadership. Reacting to General Musharraf’s claim, US State Department officials said they had not heard of any such thing. “We are pleased that there have been no nuclear tests since 1998, and we expect that there will be no more nuclear from either side,” a senior Bush Administration official said.
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