ROUNDUP: India, Pakistan to Begin Military Talks Toward De-escalation of Tension

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, June 19, 2002

ROUNDUP: India, Pakistan to Begin Military Talks Toward De-escalation of Tension

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India and Pakistan could take their most significant confidence-building measure soon first through military talks towards de-escalation of tension along the border, according to a popular daily report in New Delhi Wednesday.

Moreover, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf was believed to have given his word to Washington that he would also "shut down 60to 70 (terrorist) camps" in Pakistan-controlled part of the disputed Kashmir valley, but that "he should be given some more time", the Indian Express said.

In an exclusive interview with the Express Tuesday, Indian External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh said, "When the need arises, the two militaries can engage in dialogue through existingestablished channels so that the de-escalation process is properlyhandled."

Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee also said in an interview with a local medium last weekend that there could be military-level talks between the two countries to control what NewDelhi alleged infiltration from across the border and the line of control in Kashmir.

Director general of military operations of India and Pakistan could use their weekly (Tuesdays) telephone calls to talk de-escalation process on the two sides, Singh elaborated in the interview.

However, officials in the Indian External Affairs Ministry refused to commit themselves to any time-table on the next diplomatic-military moves, but they said it could happen over the next two or three weeks.

Singh's statement is seen here as the first public acknowledgement that de-escalation process between the two hostileneighbors is on the cards if Pakistan lives up to its guarantees to clamp down on terrorism.

New Delhi has stated very clearly that it would not withdraw its troops from the border before the scheduled elections in India-controlled Kashmir in the coming October, but it could take steps towards de-escalation, including pulling back of its forces to peacetime locations and de-alerting its air force.

Under the close watch of the international community over the developing situation between the two countries, both India and Pakistan began taking certain measures to reduce tension along their border towards the end of last month.

India has insisted that resumption of dialogue with Pakistan was only possible after Islamabad "completely" stops what it called cross-border terrorism against India and clamps down on terrorist camps allegedly based in Pakistan.

Sources here said that the two neighbors would have to go a long way to reach a solution of the Kashmir dispute, which has been the main cause for tension even wars between India and Pakistan.

Indian media reported early this week that Indian Army had decided to call back all instructional staff of major defense institutions deployed along the Indo-Pakistan border following theterrorist attack on Indian parliament last December and more afterthe explosion in Kashmir last month which killed over 30 people.

Indian army officials based in India-controlled Kashmir said that the situation along the border would be reviewed within the next two to three weeks and up to 30 percent of formation out of atotal number of some 700,000 troops might be allowed to go on leave.

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