Author: Times News Network and
Agencies
Publication: The Times of India
Date: May 30, 2002
Even as Prime Minister A. B. Vajpayee
held a high-level meeting on Thursday to review the situation along the
Indo-Pak border, militants intensified their attacks on security installations
in Jammu and Kashmir. The two-hour meeting was attended by home minister
L.K. Advani, defence minister George Fernandes and external affairs minister
Jaswant Singh. The leaders apparently discussed the various options before
the country in dealing with Pakistan.
Addressing media persons, Mr Singh
said the meeting was not limited to the military situation, but that a
number of other issues had also come up. However, there was no change in
Mr Vajpayee's Kazhakstan tour programme. The PM is slated to leave for
Al-maty on June 2 for a two-day conference on confidence-building measures
in Asia.
Later in the day, Mr Vajpayee met
President K.R. Narayanan for about 45 minutes and briefed him on the current
Indo-Pak standoff and the diplomatic drive that the government had launched
to apprise the world community of the situation.
Meanwhile, even as heavy exchange
of fire continued between the armies of the two countries along the international
border and the Line of Control, militants struck at vital locations in
Sopore, Doda and Kokranag districts. In the last 24 hours, encounters between
policemen and ultras have claimed the lives of two policemen and five militants.
On Wednesday night, two suspected
Lashkar-e-Toiba militants attired in police uniforms stormed the Doda district
police lines after shooting dead the sentry. The ultras also killed an
unarmed policeman. However, the duo was later trapped in a ration store
and killed on Thursday.
Meanwhile, in Islamabad. Gen Pervez
Musharraf said a war would break out only if India initiated it. Denying
reports that troop" had been redeployed from the western border with Afghanistan
to the eastern flank with India, Gen Musharraf said such a move was only
being considered.
