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General brushes aside India's complaints on terrorism

In his much-awaited address to the Pakistani nation on Monday night, President Pervez Musharraf repeated his earlier promise not to allow any terrorist attacks from the country's soil, but brushed aside India's complaints on cross-border terrorism saying no infiltration was taking place from their side.

During his 25-minute televised address, the general, who looked tense, had nothing new to offer India, belying international expectations that he would announce steps to curb infiltration by terrorists, which would have helped ease the tension between India and Pakistan.

Instead, Musharraf chose to attack India for the current escalation of tension and pledged to continue Pakistan's support to the "freedom struggle" in Jammu & Kashmir. He also referred to the atrocities on Muslims and other minorities in Gujarat and elsewhere in India in this connection.

Musharraf told Pakistanis that tension with India "was at its height" and the danger of war "is not over yet". Wearing his uniform, General Musharraf said Pakistan would not be the first to initiate war. "We want peace in the region," he said.

Claiming that Pakistan was not doing anything across the Line of Control in Jammu & Kashmir, he said Islamabad would never allow the export of terrorism anywhere in the world from its soil.

He maintained that Pakistan had taken 'bold' steps after his January 12 speech. "Unfortunately," he said, "we have not seen any positive steps from India."

Musharraf appealed to world leaders to impress upon India to move towards normalisation of relations and de-escalation of tensions, initiate a dialogue, cease all "atrocities" on Kashmiris and allow the international media and human rights organisations to go to Kashmir to see the situation there.

He also blamed 'Hindu extremists' for killing Muslims in Jammu & Kashmir and Gujarat and committing atrocities on other religious minorities as well as the scheduled castes and tribes in other parts.

Vowing to back what he called the "struggle for liberation" of Kashmiris, the general said Islamabad would continue to provide "moral, political and diplomatic" support to them.

PTI

Terrorism Strikes in Jammu: The complete coverage

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