M A I N   N E W S

Vajpayee, Musharraf reject autonomy for Kashmir

The latest issue of US news magazine Newsweek has carried the interviews of Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and President Pervez Musharraf. Following are the highlights.
Issues	Vajpayee	Musharraf
Cross-border terrorism	Ready for talks only if Pakistan ends cross-border infiltration. No change in Pakistan's policy	Nothing happening across the LoC. Awaiting response  from India.
Kashmir	Election would be free and fair. Rejects autonomy	Witnessing freedom struggle  Rules out autonomy
USA role	Should play the role of a facilitator than a mediator	Only USA can persuade India to initiate a dialogue
Closing of training camps in PoK	Promise not kept. Still 50 to 70 camps operating	USA did not talk about dismantling of camps.
Al-Qaida	Leadership still in Pakistan supporting Kashmir terror groups	600 extremists behind  the bars and their parties have been banned
War possibility	Does not rule out. It was a touch-and-go affair.	We will not initiate. If attacked, will defend offensively.

Pervez’s remarks irrational: India
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 23
India today termed Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s remarks in an interview to BBC “as irrational anger born of frustration.”

General Musharraf had warned that Pakistan would “teach a lesson” to India if its forces dared to cross the line of Control (LoC).

“To irrational anger born of frustration, we do not respond on a Sunday,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Nirupama Rao said when New Delhi’s response was sought to General Musharraf’s remarks. “We are studying the full text of the interview and more detailed reaction will follow in due course,” she added. 

2 Pakistani spies held in UP

Lucknow, June 23
Two suspected Pakistan spies have been nabbed from Bijnore district in Uttar Pradesh, a police spokesman said today.

A map, a diary and two different passports issued to one person were recovered from the two persons, identified as Wasif and Ahmed Hasan, arrested near the Najibabad railway station yesterday, he said. PTI