M A I N   N E W S

Pak remarks irresponsible: India
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 30
India today rubbished Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s statement that his country would unleash a storm if Indian forces were to set foot across the Line of Control (LOC), saying that statements like this showed that Islamabad “seemed to be prepared to stoop to any depths.”

Asked to comment on the above-mentioned statement of General Musharraf and the threat of a nuclear attack by Pakistan Ambassador to United Nations Muneer Khan, a spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs said, “Such irresponsible statements emanating from Pakistan must be contrasted with the responsibility India has constantly displayed... The world should draw appropriate inferences from the contrast and the fact that Pakistan seems to be prepared to stoop to any depths.”

Meanwhile, US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage is arriving here on June 6, the spokesperson said. Mr Armitage visits Islamabad before coming here in a bid to defuse the Indo-Pak situation. Subsequently, US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld would also visit.

Meanwhile, launching a major diplomatic offensive to expose Pakistan’s nefarious designs before the international community, Foreign Secretary Chokila Iyer today met the envoys of China, Nepal and Bangladesh and told them that India’s patience was running thin.

Mr Shashank, Secretary (Economic Relations) in the MEA, met the ambassadors of Southeast Asian countries and briefed them on the Indian stand. Foreign Secretary-Designate Kanwar Sibal, who is already in Spain (which is currently heading the European Union), would also visit Rome for regular foreign office consultations.

In another development, French Foreign Minister Dominic de Villepin today spoke to External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh and said Pakistan “should and must” honour its commitment to stop the export of terrorism to India.

The French minister said during his 10-minute conversation that his country was impressed by the responsibility shown by India in dealing with the current situation.

Restrain Pak, BJP tells world community
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 30
The BJP today issued an ultimatum to the international community, saying that it would be “squarely responsible” for failing to take appropriate measures to restrain Pakistan from sponsoring terrorism, compelling India to take strong steps on its own.

“If, in spite of all efforts, military action becomes unavoidable, the international community will be squarely responsible for failing to take appropriate measures to restrain Pakistan,” BJP spokesman Sunil Shastri told mediapersons here.

Mr Shastri said lack of any concrete moves on the part of major powers to ask Pakistan to stop cross-border terrorism was a matter of grave concern.

Stating that New Delhi had exercised utmost restraint despite extreme provocation, Mr Shastri said there was an “erroneous impression” that the government was dithering. “It should, in fact, be seen as a mark of maturity, confidence and strength,” he pointed out.

The spokesman accused Islamabad of not paying any heed to the views of the international community and said it was universally acknowledged that ‘jehadis’ from Pakistan were responsible for terrorist acts in Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere in India.

Stressing that New Delhi had also provided evidence to several countries in this regard, he wondered why the international community was hesitating to declare Pakistan as a state sponsoring terrorism.