DATE=6/21/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-250913
TITLE=INDIA / PAK / KASHMIR / FIGHTING (L)
BYLINE=JIM TEEPLE
DATELINE=NEW DELHI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: INDIA SAYS IT HAS MORE EVIDENCE THAT ITS TROOPS ARE
FIGHTING PAKISTANI SOLDIERS IN KASHMIR AND NOT AFGHAN
MERCENARIES OR KASHMIRI ISLAMIC MILITANTS. VOA'S JIM TEEPLE
SAYS INDIA SAYS IT HAS LOST 149 MEN IN THE FIGHT TO REGAIN ITS
TERRITORY IN KASHMIR WHILE KILLING 326 ENEMY SOLDIERS.
TEXT: INDIAN COMMANDERS SAY AFTER THEIR TROOPS SCALED AN ALMOST
VERTICAL WALL OF ROCK TO CAPTURE A STRATEGIC PEAK AT
FIVE-THOUSAND ONE-HUNDRED-FORTY METERS THEY RECOVERED THE PAYBOOK
OF A PAKISTANI OFFICER.
ARMY COLONEL BIKRAM SINGH SAYS INDIA BELIEVES THERE ARE ELEMENTS
OF SEVERAL BATTALIONS OF PAKISTANI TROOPS FIGHTING INSIDE INDIAN
TERRITORY.
// SINGH ACTUALITY //
WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ESTABLISH THE IDENTITY OF THREE,
FOUR, FIVE AND SIX BATTALIONS OF PAKISTAN'S NORTHERN
LIGHT INFANTRY IN THE POCKETS OF INTRUSION.
// END ACTUALITY //
COLONEL SINGH SAYS THE INDIAN ARMY IS FIGHTING ABOUT 700
PAKISTANI TROOPS WHO ARE SUPPORTED BY WHAT HE CALLS TWO TO THREE
THOUSAND "FIGHTING PORTERS" MADE UP OF AFGHAN MERCENARIES OR
KASHMIRI ISLAMIC MILITANTS.
THE INDIAN ARMY COLONEL SAYS IT IS USUALLY THE MERCENARIES OR
MILITANTS WHO ENTER INDIAN KASHMIR WITH LOGISTICAL SUPPORT FROM
PAKISTAN.
PAKISTAN STRONGLY DENIES THAT ITS TROOPS ARE FIGHTING INSIDE
INDIA'S TERRITORY OR EVEN THAT IT SUPPLIES FIGHTERS THERE SAYING
ONLY DIPLOMATIC AND MORAL SUPPORT IS GIVEN TO WHAT PAKISTAN CALLS
KASHMIRI FREEDOM FIGHTERS.
MEANWHILE, INDIAN DIPLOMATIC OFFICIALS CONTINUE TO SAY THEY FEEL
THEIR POSITION HAS BEEN VINDICATED FOLLOWING A STATEMENT COMING
OUT OF THE GROUP OF EIGHT MEETING ON SUNDAY IN COLOGNE, GERMANY.
THE STATEMENT CONDEMNED THE BREACH OF THE LINE OF CONTROL WHICH
DIVIDES KASHMIR AND CALLED FOR AN IMMEDIATE END TO THE FIGHTING.
INDIA'S FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN, RAMINDER JASSAL, SAYS IT IS
NOW UP TO THE G-8 NATIONS TO REVIEW THEIR POLICIES ON
INTERNATIONAL LENDING TO PAKISTAN.
// INSERT JASSAL ACTUALITY //
WE HAD EARLIER CRITICIZED THE RESUMPTION OF I-M-F
LENDING TO PAKISTAN. WE HAD SAID THAT THESE FUNDS WERE
NOT BEING USED FOR THE PURPOSES INTENDED, WELL
SUBSEQUENT EVENTS HAVE BORNE US OUT. THEY (THE
PAKISTANI'S) WERE RATHER EMBOLDENED BY THE ATTITUDE (OF
THE LENDERS). WE EXPECT THAT THE GOVERNMENTS (G-8)
WOULD THINK AFRESH THEIR RATIONALE OF THEIR ASSISTANCE
TO PAKISTAN.
// END ACTUALITY //
MEANWHILE, INDIA'S NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR, BRAJESH MISHRA,
SAYS INDIA DOES NOT WANT TO PERMANENTLY STATION TROOPS ALONG
THE THE 140-KILOMETER STRETCH OF HIGH MOUNTAIN RIDGES WHERE
FIGHTING IS NOW TAKING PLACE. MR. MISHRA SAYS ONCE THE FIGHTING
IS OVER INDIA WOULD LIKE TO RESUME BILATERAL TALKS WITH PAKISTAN
TO SETTLE THE BOUNDARY ISSUE PEACEFULLY. (SIGNED)
NEB/JLT/KL
21-Jun-99 9:25 AM EDT (1325 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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