The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Wednesday, October 16, 2002, Chandigarh, India

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Troop withdrawal on cards
Decision at CCS meeting today
Tribune News Service

FACTFILE

1. All three strike corps of the Army likely to be recalled to peacetime locations.
2. Military commanders to be the sole authority to decide on the nitty-gritty of troops withdrawal, if the CCS takes such a decision.
3. Stage set for de-escalation after the successful completion of the Jammu and Kashmir poll.
4. Indian move to enable political time and space to the forthcoming political dispensation in Pakistan.

New Delhi, October 15
The Atal Behari Vajpayee government is understood to be of the view that time has now come for military de-escalation with Pakistan, but a formal decision to this effect would be taken at a crucial meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) here tomorrow.

As a result, all three strike corps of the Army and other military paraphernalia of strike capability are likely to be recalled to their respective peacetime locations.

However, the withdrawal of troops, if decided, would be in phases and take time, perhaps months, highly-placed sources told The Tribune today.

“Time has now come for India to change its military posturing vis-a-vis Pakistan from offensive defence to defensive defence,” the sources said, adding that the security of the country would in no way be compromised.

The CCS meeting, which is to be preceded by a meeting of the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB), would weigh the various pros and cons in the backdrop of the latest political and security situation.

The CCS would be leaving the nitty-gritty of the military de-escalation to the military commanders and the political leadership would not be thrusting any decision on the military, the sources clarified.

There are three predominant factors, enumerated below, which call for changing India’s military posturing vis-a-vis Pakistan “from offensive defence to defensive defence”:

1. After the successful completion of the poll process in Jammu and Kashmir, the Vajpayee government does not have any raison d’etre to continue to keep its troops deployed on the International border and the Line of Control (LoC).

2. A new political dispensation is all set to come up in Pakistan shortly and change of gear by India in its military posturing would send a welcome and much-needed signal to the would-be Pakistani Prime Minister and allow some political space to the new, albeit toothless, leadership in Pakistan.

3. The international community is expecting some concrete initiative from India after the completion of the Jammu and Kashmir poll process despite unfailing efforts by Pakistan to sabotage these elections.

On the crucial question of India resuming dialogue with Pakistan, the sources said the government was in favour of waiting and watching.