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Wednesday, December 31, 2008
NEW DELHI: Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee denied on Tuesday mobilisation of Indian forces on Pakistan border. He was responding to Foreign Minister Shah Mehmud Qureshi’s proposal to India to de-activate forward bases and re-location of army units to peacetime positions to de-escalate tension in the region.
“We have not created any tension... First there should be escalation from Indian side then the question of de-escalation will come. We have not escalated anything,” he said. Mukherjee said the Indian army has made it clear that its military movements were a “normal winter exercise” and there was no question of such mobilisation. He said the army had stated that whatever they were doing was a “normal winter exercise” which is done every year. “There is no question of mobilisation or escalation of tension,” he said. “There is no need of creating an atmosphere or some sort of hysteria,” Mukherjee said and added there was no tension as was borne by the fact that India was releasing some 67 Pakistanis detained for visa violations. Moreover, like in the past, India and Pakistan will be exchanging information on nuclear confidence-building measures on the New Year’s day, he told PTI.
When asked about the investigation into the Mumbai terror attacks, Mukherjee said these were in the final stages and will be shared with Pakistan and others. He asked Pakistan to fulfil commitments. Pakistan will have to act on the evidence India gives to it. “And there has to be credible evidence that they are acting on it,” he added. He did not agree to suggestions that India should recall its high commissioner from Pakistan and put economic squeeze on Pakistan and said while it cannot be “business as usual” with Islamabad, “I do feel still we should continue to put pressure diplomatically through international community to achieve our objectives.” To another question, he denied reports of any negotiations over release of prisoners with the terrorists during the Mumbai attacks. There were no demands from the terrorists and, therefore, there was no question of any negotiations, he said.
“So far as the government is concerned absolutely there was no such thing. In fact, they were shooting and killing and we were engaged in eliminating them,” he said. Referring to appointment of a US special envoy for the Indian sub-continent, he said there was a bilateral mechanism to improve Indo-Pak ties and third party intervention would not make any difference. Asked about US media reports that the incoming Obama administration may appoint former president Bill Clinton or some other person as special envoy, Mukherjee said such reports were speculative. However, he said “in the preliminary interaction which we have had with our interlocutors (in the Obama transitional team) we have suggested to them... we already have established a bilateral mechanism to improve relationship between India and Pakistan”.
“We have also said that third party intervention is not going to make any substantial difference,” he said, adding, “I do not know whether the mandate is for something else. That is why we shall have to wait and see. So many speculative news items are coming.”
To a question whether this was the right time for the government to address larger issues, including demand for greater autonomy, Mukherjee said: “Right now, no new initiatives can be taken by the central government” and this task has to be left to the new government that comes after general elections.
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