Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE= 05/28/02

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE= INDIA / PAKISTAN / L

NUMBER=2-290262

BYLINE= JIM TEEPLE

DATELINE= NEW DELHI

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: India's defense minister has dismissed pledges by Pakistan not to allow its territory to be used for terrorist attacks against Indian-administered Kashmir. India's foreign minister will give an official response to Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's Monday speech, later today. But -- as V-O-A's Jim Teeple reports from New Delhi -- Indian officials are already expressing anger at the speech, saying it did not

address their concerns.

TEXT: Speaking to the Star Television News Network, Defense Minister

George Fernandes said he does not believe Pakistan President Pervez

Musharraf -- who Monday said infiltration across the "line of control" in Kashmir had stopped and that Islamabad would not allow its territory to be used by terrorists.

Mr. Fernandes says he believes Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence

Agency is planning attacks in India's Jammu and Kashmir State and will

use elements of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida terrorist network and the

Taleban to carry them out.

/// FERNANDES ACTUALITY ///

We have information that there are a number of terrorists who are on

the other side of the border in POK (Pakistan occupied Kashmir). These are

people who have fled from Afghanistan -- the al-Qaida men, and the

Talebani's. For Musharraf to say that infiltration is no more there,

is, first of all, an admission that they were responsible for that, but

what he has said about the present situation (no infiltration) is

totally wrong.

/// END ACTUALITY ///

Indian officials routinely accuse Pakistan of controlling the separatist

militants in Indian Kashmir -- a charge officials in Pakistan routinely

deny.

Senior officials in New Delhi are expressing anger at President

Musharraf's speech -- especially his charge that Hindu extremists are

behind violence in Kashmir and in India's western Gujarat State.

More than one-thousand people -- mostly Muslims -- have been killed there in Hindu-Moslem violence, over the past several months.

Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has cut short his vacation in the

hill station, Manali, to return to New Delhi. Later Tuesday, he

will meet with his cabinet committee on security to discuss

the growing crisis. Defense Minister George Fernandes says India's

patience has run out.

/// FERNANDES ACTUALITY ///

Our options will become fewer and fewer. But which option will finally

prevail is something that I cannot comment on at this point in time.

/// END ACTUALITY ///

Heavy shelling continued Tuesday along the line of control. Both

countries are believe to have one million troops massed along the

border, raising fears of an all-out war between the two countries. Pakistan

also announced today it has conduced its third missile test, in the

past four days.

Diplomatic efforts to ease the crisis are intensifying. British

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw is holding talks in Islamabad, before

traveling to New Delhi. Russia's deputy foreign minister is also in

Islamabad, trying to arrange direct talks between the Indian and

Pakistani leaders at a summit of central Asian leaders next week.

(Signed)

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