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| India-Pakistan |
| Indian army rules out demilitarization of Jammu, Kashmir |
| 2007-01-10 |
| (KUNA) -- The Indian army Tuesday expressed skepticism about possible demilitarization of Jammu and Kashmir - as proposed by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf - saying the demand was old and unacceptable. The army's view was highlighed by spokesman of the Indian Defense Ministry Lt Col S D Goswami in an article titled "Demilitarization in Kashmir: The Area of Caution." The article was released to the mass media Tuesday in Jammu, winter capital of Indian-administered part of Jammu and Kashmir. "Pakistan's proposal for demilitarization of Kashmir means complete withdrawal of troops not only from the borders but also from such urban communities as Kupwara, Baramulla and Srinagar," Lt Col Goswami wrote in the article. "There is a distinction between troops returning to the barracks on completion of internal security tasks assigned to them and troops being completely moved out of the area including from border defense duties. Kashmir borders Pakistan and China. It has suffered four invasions from the western neighbors and one from the northern. Besides, there is cross-border terrorism in which 30,000 people have lost their lives. In such a situation, withdrawal of defense forces would be fatal," Goswami said. "Even if normalcy is restored and peace returns to Jammu and Kashmir, troops can go back to the barracks but demilitarization as such cannot be considered as the requirement of defending the country's borders which remains paramount, in fact non-negotiable," Lt Col Goswami said. The suggestion for the withdrawal of Indian troops was made by Pakistan immediately after the invaders were routed from the Kashmir valley in 1948. Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, the then head of Kashmir's emergency administration, had, in February 1948, turned down the demand at a public reception in Delhi. |
| Posted by:Fred |