DATE=7/2/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-251356
TITLE=INDIA / PAK / KASHMIR (L)
BYLINE=JIM TEEPLE
DATELINE=NEW DELHI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: INDIA SAYS THERE IS NO SIGN THAT PAKISTAN IS ENDING ITS
INVOLVEMENT IN THE FIGHTING IN KASHMIR. PAKISTAN DENIES THIS,
BUT INDIAN COMMANDERS SAY THEY HAVE CAPTURED A LARGE QUANTITY OF
PAKISTANI ARMS AND AMMUNITION IN A BATTLE TO RETAKE "TIGER HILL,"
A STRATEGIC PEAK OVERLOOKING KASHMIR'S MAIN EAST-WEST HIGHWAY.
INDIA SAYS IT LOST 17 MEN IN THE PAST 24 HOURS, BRINGING TO 217
THE TOTAL NUMBER OF INDIAN TROOPS KILLED SINCE FIGHTING BEGAN
SEVEN WEEKS AGO. INDIAN COMMANDERS SAY THEY HAVE KILLED 446
ENEMY TROOPS AND WILL CONTINUE FIGHTING UNTIL THEY PUSH ALL
INFILTRATORS OUT OF INDIAN TERRITORY. V-O-A'S JIM TEEPLE
REPORTS.
TEXT: INDIAN COMMANDERS SAY THEIR TROOPS HAVE RECOVERED A HUGE
QUANTITY OF PAKISTANI ARMS AND AMMUNITION AFTER CAPTURING SEVERAL
BUNKER-LIKE STRUCTURES ON THE STEEP APPROACHES TO THE SUMMIT OF
"TIGER HILL." COMMANDERS SAY THEY ALSO FOUND DOCUMENTS BELONGING
TO A PAKISTANI MAJOR AND SEVERAL HIGH-FREQUENCY RADIOS OF THE
TYPE USED BY PAKISTANI TROOPS.
PAKISTAN DENIES ITS TROOPS ARE FIGHTING IN KASHMIR, OR THAT IT
SUPPLIES ISLAMIC MILITANTS FIGHTING THERE -- SAYING ITS TROOPS
ARE ONLY ENGAGED IN RETALIATORY ARTILLERY SHELLING ALONG THE
"LINE OF CONTROL" WHICH DIVIDES KASHMIR. RAMINDER JASSAL,
INDIA'S FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN, SAYS PAKISTAN IS NOT ONLY
INVOLVED IN THE FIGHTING, BUT IT ALSO SHOWS NO SIGN OF ENDING
ITS INVOLVEMENT ANYTIME SOON.
/// JASSAL ACT ///
DESPERATE EFFORTS CONTINUE TO BE MADE TO KEEP THE
INTRUDERS SUPPLIED. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE AS YET ON
THE GROUND THAT PAKISTAN IS WITHDRAWING ITS FORCES FROM
THE REMAINING POCKETS OF INTRUSION.
/// END ACT ///
MR. JASSAL SAYS INDIA HAS MANAGED TO CONTAIN THE INTRUSION INTO
ITS TERRITORY, AND PAKISTAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END ITS INVOLVEMENT
AND REAFFIRM ITS RESPECT FOR THE LINE OF CONTROL. ONCE THAT
OCCURS, THE INDIAN SPOKESMAN SAYS, THE DIALOGUE BETWEEN INDIA AND
PAKISTAN KNOWN AS THE "LAHORE PROCESS," WHICH BEGAN EARLIER THIS
YEAR, CAN RESUME.
// OPT // RAMINDER JASSAL OF INDIA'S FOREIGN MINISTRY SAYS
INDIA'S GOVERNMENT DOES NOT BELIEVE THE CONFLICT NOW CONTAINED
IN KASHMIR WILL WIDEN. INDIA, HE SAYS, WANTS PEACE IN SOUTH
ASIA.
/// SECOND JASSAL ACT ///
WE HAVE TO LIVE IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD. WE HAVE A VISION
OF RELATIONS WITH ALL OUR NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES -- IT IS
NOT JUST PAKISTAN -- AND THAT VISION IS ONE OF LIVING
HARMONIOUSLY IN A COOPERATIVE, GOOD-NEIGHBORLY FASHION.
/// END ACT /// /// END OPT ///
MEANWHILE, SUSPECTED ISLAMIC MILITANTS IN KASHMIR ATTACKED A
VILLAGE EARLY FRIDAY, KILLING AT LEAST 10 MEMBERS OF TWO HINDU
FAMILIES. IT WAS THE THIRD ATTACK SO FAR THIS WEEK ON CIVILIANS
IN KASHMIR, BUT MILITARY COMMANDERS SAY THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF
STEPPED UP MILITARY ACTIVITY BY GUERRILLAS IN THE KASHMIR VALLEY,
ABOUT 200 KILOMETERS SOUTH OF THE BATTLE ZONE.
/// REST OPT ///
INDIAN ELECTION OFFICIALS SAY THEY HAVE NO INTENTION OF
POSTPONING OR DELAYING PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS, NOW SCHEDULED FOR
SOMETIME IN SEPTEMBER, BECAUSE OF THE FIGHTING IN KASHMIR.
ELECTION OFFICIALS SAY THE ELECTIONS WILL GO AHEAD AS PLANNED,
EVEN IN KASHMIR. (SIGNED)
NEB/JLT/LTD/WTW
02-Jul-99 9:42 AM EDT (1342 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
