Author: PTI
Publication: The Times of India,
Pune
Date: October 28, 2001
Dismissing all speculation that
terrorist training camps in Pakistan and areas illegally occupied by it
had been closed, defence minister George Fernandes on Saturday charged
Islamabad with continuing to impart training to militants, even as he indicated
a new multifaceted strategy to counter terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
"There are scores of these training
camps, and there is no evidence that they have been shut down," Mr Fernandes
said, in an interview to the Star News. These comments came after reports
started pouring in the media that Pakistan had ordered temporary closure
of terrorists camps after the September 11 attacks in America.
"From some of them, activity may
have been shifted to another place to demonstrate to the Americans that'
see we had a camp here and now its gone. I don't have any reason to believe
that there is any reduction in their efforts to train, equip and export
militants to India," Mr Fernandes said.
Mr Fernandes said the government
was working on a strategy that will be "far more effective" than the present
one. "The only way to deal with militants is to get rid of them. We are
working on a strategy that will enable us to be far more effective than
we have been so far. The aim is to clear the Valley of any kind of terrorist
activity," he said.
The defence minister, who assumed
charge for the second time in the Atal Behari Vajpayee-led cabinet, has
been touring extensively all forward northern posts to assess the situation
at the border.
Mr Fernandes had earlier announced
that a "specific plan" was being worked out to stamp out the Pakistan-sponsored
proxy war from Jammu and Kashmir. However, he had refused to divulge any
further information about the plan.
On assertion of Pakistani President
Pervez Musharraf about Islamabad's readiness to deal with Indian aggression,
Mr Fernandes said, "I have repeatedly said we have never committed aggression
against any country." "We have only acted in defence of our frontiers,"
the defence minister said.
He had earlier dismissed Pakistani
claims that Indian troops had crossed over the line of control on October
15.
The defence minister, during his
trip to Akhnoor and Mendhar sectors, which have been relatively "hot" recently,
had been shown ample proofs by the army that it was Pakistan which had
resorted to heavy artillery shelling on October In the retaliatory action,
30 of the Pakistani personnel were killed in a gun-battle. (PTI)
