|
2007-03-26 India-Pakistan
|
|
Antony rules out troop cut in Jammu & Kashmir
|
People's Democratic Party chief Mufti Mohammed Sayeed may be pressuring Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to reduce troops in Jammu and Kashmir but the Union government will not let politics dictate security in the terrorism-hit state.
Virtually ruling out any troop reduction in the Kashmir Valley, Defence Minister A K Antony said on Sunday,"The threat (of terrorism) is still very much there. Infiltration from across the Line of Control may have slightly stabilised but terrorists are now trying new routes."
"Infiltrators and terrorists are getting support from across the border (Pakistan). It's a fact. When we are convinced that the ground situation is actually improving, we can review the situation," said Antony, on the last leg of his two-day tour of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
This comes close after Sayeed held two rounds of talks with the PM to put forward the demand for a cut in troops deployed in J&K, especially in wake of the widespread unrest in the state due to several fake encounters being detected recently.
The timing of Sayeed's demand has also raised questions about whether PDP, a coalition partner of the Congress in the state government, is positioning itself for the elections to be held in J&K next year.
Antony's remarks make it clear that the Centre is unlikely to accept demands for any significant troop reduction till a thorough assessment of the ground situation in J&K is made in the summer months, which usually witnesses a spike in infiltration and violence levels.
At the same time, a few token gestures here and there in some less-affected civilian areas cannot be ruled out. Antony, on his part, said the Centre too was keen on a troop cut in J&K as well as N-E."My dream is when all our soldiers can go back to their cantonments. But everything depends on the emerging security scenario. It's for our armed forces and other security agencies to tell us if the situation has improved," he added.
This assumes significance in the backdrop of the discussions between the PM and Sayeed, which have revolved around the formation of a committee to examine the demands for troop reduction and repeal of anti-terror laws. Sayeed has apparently sought a political face for the panel but the Centre would like the panel to be headed by a security expert.
Antony also referred to Pakistan's ability to turn on the terror tap from across the border whenever it wants and its failure to keep to its oft-repeated promise to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure operating from its soil.
"Pakistan keeps on saying so many things. As far as security is concerned, statements are not enough, action is required," he said.
Meanwhile, the BJP on Sunday alleged that there has been a "silent" pullout of security forces from areas bordering Pakistan over the past one week. "Our fact-finding team visited places in the border districts of Doda, Poonch and Rajouri. It found that security forces have been removed in these areas. It seems that the Congress-led government at the Centre has surrendered itself to the PDP's demand, compromising the countrys security," agencies quoted BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar as saying.
The BJP fact-finding team found that a whole brigade had been ordered to pull out from Budhal (Rajouri). Forces were also withdrawn from Kulhand (Doda) where 19 Hindus were killed last year, Javadekar claimed. Military pickets were removed from Shatru, Daschan, Pader, Balesa, Martam, Dharmshala and Puranu, he alleged.
In Poonch, the removal of troops was evident in Biji, Swarnkot, Gundi, Mandi, Chandiman, Krishnaghati and Chilas, he said. 
|
Posted by John Frum 2007-03-26 00:00||
||
Front Page|| [2 views since 2007-05-07]
Top
|
|
01:12 badanov
01:05 DarthVader
00:56 Grom the Reflective
00:53 Grom the Reflective
00:52 Grom the Reflective
00:48 Grom the Reflective
|
