New Delhi, May 24
Fresh diplomatic offensive launched by India to strait-jacket Pakistan has put the military regime of General Pervez Musharraf on a tight leash and brought about immense pressure on him to deliver, and deliver now, on his January 12 promises as the Indian patience is wearing thin.
The Vajpayee government, it is understood, is not in a mood to give a long rope to the Musharraf regime for putting complete stop to cross-border terrorism aimed at India and conveyed to the world leaders that it reserved the right to defend its security interests.
There is increasing evidence that Gen Musharraf’s image and credibility are eroding fast among the world community as more and more nations have started pressing Pakistan to curb cross-border terrorism against India.
Reflecting international concerns on growing Indo-Pakistan tension which threatens to cross
threshold anytime, US Secretary of State Colin Powell and Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Xixuan spoke to External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh tonight, sources said here tonight.
Significantly, diplomatic activities went into fifth gear earlier this week, particularly after Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee wrote to world leaders like US President George W. Bush, Russian President Vladimir Putin, British Foreign Minister Tony Blair and French President Jacques Chirac.
It is understood that Mr Vajpayee has conveyed to the world leaders in no uncertain terms that his government had no faith in Gen Musharraf and could no longer do business with him.
The Prime Minister is understood to have told the world leaders that Gen Musharraf has failed to deliver on his January 12 promise to declare a war against the jehadis and the level of infiltration of militants from Pakistan to India and Pakistan’s unprovoked firing on the LoC continued unabated.
The growing alienation of Pakistan in the world community over the issue of cross-border terrorism is clearly reflected by the fact that European Union Commissioner for Foreign Relations Chris Patten told the Pakistani leaders clearly that it would be the most profound mistake on the part of Gen Musharraf if he were to believe that he could keep turning on and off the tap of terrorism at will.
