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From Tehelka Archives
October 2, 2001

Pakistan testing India’s patience:

Vajpayee tells Bush

India steps up its diplomatic offensive and demands action against Pakistan-based terrorist
organisations on a priority basis, reports venkat parsa

ndia stepped up its diplomatic offen- “As a democratically elected leader of tions operating from the Pakistani soil and
sive today to raise the pitch on Indian India, I have to address in our supreme na- targeting the sensitive border state of J&K; -
concerns on terrorism, especially in the tional interest. Pakistan must understand that like Jaish-e-Mohammad, the Lashkar-e-Toiba
context of the latest terrorist attack on there is a limit to the patience of the people of and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen. Osama bin Laden
I the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K;) Assem- India. I have asked my external affairs minis- had strong links with Jaish-e-Mohammad. It
bly complex in Srinagar yesterday. Prime Min- ter, Jaswant Singh, who is now in Washington, is for this reason that India demanded that the
ister Atal Behari Vajpayee addressed a letter to to convey to you more fully our sentiments in US should ban and freeze funds of Pakistan-
US President George W Bush, even as External this regard,” the prime minister said. backed terrorist outfits in the first phase of its
Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh met George Ironically, the incident took place just a day global fight against terrorism.
Bush, US Secretary of State Colin Powell and after the Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf The US should also ensure effective imple-
US National Security Adviser Condoleeza claimed that Pakistan has no terrorist groups mentation of UN Security Council resolution
Rice in Washington, and conveyed the Indian operating from its territory. “Mr President, the calling upon all States to end support, includ-
concerns to them. The Vajpayee government world is still coming to terms with the hor- ing funding, supply of weapons and providing
projected its best Muslim face by fielding rendous events of September 11. India joined safe haven to terrorists, Abdullah said. Giving a
Union Minister of State for External stern warning to Pakistan for continuing
Affairs Omar Abdullah to put the Indian to aid and abet terrorism in J&K;, he said,
point of view across forcefully. Islamabad must forthwith cease any
India fully assured the US that it “active or passive” support to mili -
would not exacerbate the situation by tants operating in the state. “Enough is
undertaking a hot-pursuit into Paki- enough,” he said. “There is a limit to test-
stan. At the same time, India insisted ing India’s patience. It will be better if this
that in the first phase of war against limit is not tested.”
terrorism, Pakistan-based terrorist India provided “credible” evidence
organisations should be banned and to Washington on Jaish-e-Mohammad’s
their bank accounts frozen. close linkages with bin Laden’s Al Qaida.
The common refrain was that while Jaswant Singh sought to stress that it
India was appreciative of the US pre- would not be enough if the Bush admin-
dicament, India was keen that the US istration remained focussed on the Al
should accommodate Indian concerns. Qaida, in its bid to tackle terrorism. If the
For instance, while Harkat-ul-Ansar US is serious on combating terrorism, it
and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen have been should look beyond the Al Qaida.
banned, the Jaish-e-Mohammad has Soon after his unexpected
evaded any action by the US. The Jaish-e- 40-minute-long meeting with Bush,
Mohammad claimed responsibility for the wholeheartedly with the United States in Jaswant Singh said, “The US is focussing upon
attack on the J&K; Assembly. its goal for the destruction and defeat of the the Al Qaida just now, and so far, at keeping its
In his Letter to US President George Bush, global terror network, which you eloquently focus on one particular organisation, and deal-
Vajpayee protested that Pakistan was virtually announced in your Address to the Congress. ing with that (organisation), and thereafter
putting India’s patience to test. Bush had reit- With you we condemned any nation that con- focussing on others. I understand that
erated the familiar US stand that Indian con- tinues to harbour or support terrorism,” Prime position but I also spoke about dual purpose
cerns, too, would be addressed, but only after Minister Vajpayee wrote. terrorism — terrorism that operates under
the Osama bin Laden issue is tackled. Vajpayee Omar Abdullah maintained that while one name in one place, and operates as some
emphasised that while India was fully back- India would not want to exacerbate the situ- other name in some other place, and we will
ing the US agenda on terrorism, incidents of ation at this juncture by undertaking “hot continue to do so.”
the kind that rocked Srinagar yesterday raise pursuit” of Pakistan-based outfits, the US
questions for Indian security concerns. must slam a ban on the terrorist organisa- letters@tehelka.com

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