New Delhi, August 31
India is concerned over Pakistan’s a self-rule package for Northern Areas and renaming it as Gilgit-Baltistan as also over reports that Pakistan was illegally modifying American-made Harpoon anti-ship missiles to hit land-based targets.
Meanwhile, a visit by Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao to Pakistan ahead of the talks between the Foreign Ministers of the two countries on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York in late September is almost ruled out, given Islamabad’s intransigent attitude in taking credible action against the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks.
Official sources said the External Affairs Ministry had sought details from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad of Pakistan Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s announcement yesterday renaming Northern Areas.
“These areas are an integral part of Jammu and Kashmir…we view the development with concern,” they added.
New Delhi has also viewed with concern a report in The New York Times, which quoted senior US administration officials as saying that Pakistan has modified US-made missiles for potential use against India.
“The government closely monitors all such developments which are of concern to us and have a bearing on our national security…we will take steps necessary to counter any threat to our security,” the sources added.
It is becoming clear that the Sharm el Sheikh joint statement between India and Pakistan is gradually losing its relevance. With Islamabad dilly-dallying on conducting a thorough and fair probe into the Mumbai attacks, India feels it would be meaningless to engage in any structured dialogue with the neighbouring country.
Pakistan has invited the Indian Foreign Secretary to Islamabad to work out the agenda for External Affairs Minister SM Krishna’s meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmud Qureshi in New York. However, India is clearly dragging its feet. The impression one gets is that the Foreign Secretaries might also meet only in New York one or two days before the talks between the two Foreign Ministers.
“No decision has been taken (on the Foreign Secretary’s visit to Islamabad)…we will announce as and when a decision is taken,’’ the sources said, clearly underlining the problem India faces in establishing any high-level contact with Islamabad by ignoring domestic opinion.
