DATE=5/21/98 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-232560 TITLE=INDIA / KASHMIR / L BYLINE=DOUGLAS BAKSHIAN DATELINE=NEW DELHI CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: INDIA SAYS PAKISTAN HAS STEPPED UP MILITARY ACTIVITY ALONG THE KASHMIR CEASEFIRE LINE. V-O-A NEW DELHI CORRESPONDENT DOUGLAS BAKSHIAN REPORTS THE DEVELOPMENT FOLLOWS STRONG WORDS ABOUT KASHMIR FROM INDIA'S HOME MINISTER, THIS WEEK. TEXT: A GOVERNMENT STATEMENT RELEASED IN SRINAGAR -- THE CAPITAL OF INDIAN KASHMIR -- SAYS, OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS, PAKISTAN HAS BEEN FIRING ARTILLERY, MORTAR AND AUTOMATIC WEAPONS IN THE FORWARD KUPWARA DISTRICT. THE STATEMENT SAYS THE FIRING IS UNPROVOKED AND APPEARS TO BE A COVER FOR SENDING HEAVILY-ARMED MILITANT GROUPS INTO THE KASHMIR VALLEY. THE STATEMENT SAYS INDIA'S RESPONSE HAS BEEN RESTRAINED. THERE IS NO INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION OF THE ACCOUNT. THE DEVELOPMENT FOLLOWS REMARKS BY INDIAN HOME MINISTER LAL KRISHNA ADVANI MONDAY SUGGESTING PAKISTAN IS LIKELY TO STEP UP HOSTILE ACTIVITIES IN KASHMIR, FOLLOWING INDIA'S NUCLEAR TESTS. IN ANOTHER STATEMENT WEDNESDAY, MR. ADVANI INDICATED INDIA WILL DEAL MORE AGGRESSIVELY WITH MILITANCY IN KASHMIR. HE SAYS IT WILL BE HANDLED PRO-ACTIVELY, NOT REACTIVELY AS IN THE PAST. EARLIER THIS MONTH, INDIAN KASHMIR CHIEF MINISTER FAROOQ ABDULLAH ANNOUNCED A MILITARY OPERATION AGAINST MUSLIM MILITANTS, FOLLOWING SEVERAL MASSACRES OF HINDUS IN INDIAN KASHMIR. HOWEVER, HE DID NOT SAY WHEN THE OPERATION WOULD BEGIN. OUTBREAKS OF SHELLING ALONG THE CEASEFIRE LINE THAT DIVIDES INDIAN AND PAKISTANI KASHMIR ARE NOT UNCOMMON. IT IS ONLY HEAVY EXCHANGES THAT DRAW ATTENTION. KASHMIR IS A DISPUTED TERRITORY OVER WHICH INDIAN AND PAKISTAN HAVE FOUGHT TWO WARS. INDIA ACCUSES ISLAMABAD OF ARMING MILITANT GROUP'S BATTLING FOR KASHMIR'S INDEPENDENCE, BUT PAKISTAN SAYS IT PROVIDES ONLY DIPLOMATIC AND POLITICAL SUPPORT. (SIGNED) NEB / WD / WD 21-May-98 6:27 AM EDT (1027 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .
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