Delhi plays cool to Pak border truce offer

NEW DELHI/SRINAGAR/ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Foreign Secretary Inamul Haq on Saturday assured of "maximum restraint" along the Line of Control in Jammu & Kashmir to strengthen New Delhi''s offer of Ramzan ceasefire. Though Indian officials refused to comment on media reports without going into the fine print, the statement was being seen as the first positive sign from Islamabad since Kargil.However, keeping in mind that Kargil followed the Lahore euphoria, New Delhi is watching the situation carefully.
"With immediate effect, the Pakistani armed forces deployed along the LoC will observe maximum restraint in order to strengthen and stabilise the ceasefire," Haque told a press conference in Islamabad. "The Government of Pakistan expects that the Government of India will reciprocate this initiative and cease firing across the LoC," Haque added.
Haq''s announcement has come nearly five days after India''s unilateral ceasefire in Kashmir became effective. The Ramzan truce, while barring the security forces from mounting combat operations and asking them to exercise restraint along the LoC, however, does not include prevention of infiltration by militants or the right to retaliate in self-defence.
Whether it is international pressure or the fact that militant groups have not explicitly rejected New Delhi''s ceasefire and have been meeting every day to discuss developments in Kashmir, this is the first signal from Pakistan that it is willing to respond to India''s initiative in Kashmir
Reaction in New Delhi was muted. While the external affairs ministry was weighing the statement, the defence ministry pointed out that the Indian armed forces were already exercising maximum restraint both in J&K and along the LoC.
An Army source told The Times of India that there has been ``hardly any firing'''' and exchanges have ``reduced considerably in all sectors'''' along the LoC since India''s unilateral ceasefire came into effect last Monday.
"The situation along the LoC has been low key generally. There has been very little artillery or small-arms firing which again has been localised. Even then, we have not responded," said the source. To that extent, Haq''s announcement "only reinforces the ground situation", he added.
During their weekly telephonic conversation on November 21, the Indian and Pakistani DGMOs (directors-general of military operations) had arrived at a tentative agreement to exercise restraint along the LoC. The Army Headquarters has since issued blanket instructions to all formations located along the LoC to exercise restraint and resilience, the source said.
Defence ministry spokesman P S Bhatnagar, when asked for official reaction, remarked that Pakistan had always been saying that it would exercise restraint. "(But) they should stop infiltration of terrorists. Our primary concern is infiltration," he added.
Meanwhile, Hizbul Mujahideen spokesman `Commander'' Masood on Saturday said his outfit had not altogether rejected the ceasefire announced by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee last month. "The Hizb has kept its doors open and is only waiting for the government to show a reasonable and realistic attitude," he said in a statement in Srinagar.
The Hizb asked the government to clarify its stand and remove the contradictions in the thinking and approach of its various organisations. It was watching what confidence-building measures the government took.
This is the first time that the Hizb has come out openly on its stand on the ceasefire. While other outfits had already rejected the ceasefire, the Hizb said on Saturday that it showed ``a sense of maturity and responsibility'''' by not reacting so far as it was ``conscious of its responsibility as a symbol of the indigenous character of the ongoing separatist movement in Kashmir''''.
The Hizb statement came after Friday''s remarks by new director-general of police A.K. Suri that the police would carry out raids on militant hideouts on receiving specific information. Massod said: ``Suri''s statement makes a mockery of the unilateral ceasfire.''''
However, Suri had also said that the Army and other security forces had suspended combat operations against militants in the state. Suri had said that the police would only perform their normal duties to safeguard the life and property of the people.
In his statement, Masood said the Hizb had neither rejected nor accepted the ceasefire and that the Hizb cadres would continue their campaign against the forces.
Nevertheless, the political process to bring the militant groups to the negotiating table has picked up both in Kashmir and Pakistan, it is learnt. According to separatist leaders in Srinagar, the apex body of the militant organisations is meeting virtually daily in Islamabad to decide on the issue.
According to Fazal Haq Qureshi, who had played a key role during July-August ceasefire to bring the Hizb for talks with the Union government, the Jehad Council may take a decision within a couple of days.
Qureshi said the militant leaders of Srinagar and Pakistan were in constant touch and hoped a positive outcome might come soon. He even hinted that the militant groups might reciprocate the ceasefire.
Abdul Majid Dar, who had announced the July 24 ceasefire on behalf of the Hizb, is in Srinagar and in touch with Hizb ``supreme commander'''' Syed Salahuddin on a daily basis.
Another separatist leader, Shabir Shah, who is in New Delhi, met former Prime Ministers Chandra Shekhar, I.K. Gujral and V.P. Singh. He is expected to meet Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee also, his wife told The Times of India here on Saturday.
All-Party Hurriyat Conference (ALHC) leader Yasin Malik, who has responded positively to the ceasefire, is also camping in the capital.
In fact, political observers here say that there is a distinct possibility of the talks being resumed this month.
Meanwhile, the IG of BSF, G.S. Gill, said here on Saturday that the level of violence had come down since the ceasefire became operational but there were three incidents of exchanges of fire on the line of control in the Baramulla sector on Friday. Gill said: ``Our job is going to be tougher because we have been put on the defensive following the ceasefire.''''
He claimed that the militant had decided to intensify their campaign, hence the forces were on maximum alert. There were no reports to suggest that the militants would come overground during the ceasefire, he added.
Gill said the forces hoped something positive would emerge following the ceasefire. Since the ceasefire became effective, the BSF had not conducted any raid, nor arrested or killed any militant. ``We cannot ignore the reality that the militants are also criminals,'''' he said, but claimed that the BSF had not played any offensive role since November 28.