tribuneindia... Jammu and Kashmir

J A M M U C
& CK A S H M I R

Saturday, June 12, 1999

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Farooq warns Pak
on Kargil
Tribune News Service
JAMMU, June 11 — The Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, has said the Indian defence forces are well-equipped to meet any challenge from Pakistan in the Kargil sector.

Addressing a public conference at Udhampur today the Chief Minister said Pakistan had repeated the events of 1947 by sending infiltrators into the Kargil-Dras belt for disrupting activity on the Srinagar-Leh national highway and causing difficulties for the people in the area.

He said India’s defence capabilities should not be underestimated and in case Pakistan refused to withdraw its troops and infiltrators from Kargil the Indian troops would march ahead and carry the battle to its logical conclusion.

Dr Abdullah hoped that talks between Pakistan Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz and his counterpart in Delhi from tomorrow would prove fruitful. He said India wanted friendly relations with its neighbours, including Pakistan, and suggested to Islamabad to reciprocate India’s offer of friendship in the spirit of the Lahore Declaration.

The Chief Minister made it clear that no power on the earth could grab even an inch of India’s territory in Jammu and Kashmir. He said that Pak action in Kargil had been resented by intelligentsia and political leaders in Pakistan who were eager to promote friendly ties with New Delhi.

He warned Pakistan against sending mercenaries and regular Army men into the border areas. He said the Indian troops had already foiled the Pak gameplan in Kargil and India was determined to push back the infiltrators.

He appreciated the role of world leaders on the Kargil issue and said even the US Government had reprimanded Pakistan for violating the Line of Control in Kargil.