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Monday, July 20, 1998

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Pak worrisome nation: USA
ISLAMABAD, July 19 (PTI) — The USA today described Pakistan as a "worrisome" country whose major decisions are based on "false information" and dismissed Islamabad’s allegations that India was colluding with Israel to launch a pre-emptive strike on its nuclear installations prompting its atomic tests.
"A country that’s nuclear armed and makes a major national security decision based on false information is a worrisome country," outgoing American Ambassador to Pakistan Thomas Simons told the English daily "The Dawn".
Referring to Pakistan’s accusation that India had, in cooperation with Israel, planned a pre-emptive strike on its nuclear installations on the intervening night of May 27 and 28, he said: "That was false information. Absolutely false".
The "false information" about the alleged strike had come from within Pakistan, he said, adding "the idea that there was a pre-emptive strike under way, the idea that F-16s were poised to carry out the strike - all that was false."
The outgoing Ambassador said the USA also informed Pakistani leadership about this, saying: "We knew it to be false and told your (Pakistani) government, but it still continued to be carried away."
Simons returns after a 30-month stint in Islamabad.
Stating that Pakistan suffers from a "sense of vulnerability", he told the newspaper that "the USA thinks Pakistan is probably a stronger nation than most Pakistanis think. You have a feeling of vulnerability, weakness because of your smallness. It is incredible to us how a country of 130 million can think of itself as Papua New Guinea."
He also dismissed the feeling in Pakistan that the USA offered "peanuts" in terms of alternate package to stop Islamabad from carrying out the tests.
Referring to the current economic crises faced by Pakistan, Simons said "Of course, it’s water over the dam now" and added that "your Prime Minister (Nawaz Sharif) was undecided until the last minute because he was well aware of the sticks".
Pakistan’s economy is smaller and more vulnerable than that of India, he added.
"We understand Pakistan’s security concerns, we understand India’s security concerns. But we think to this day, both didn’t have to test since they had robust defence," he said.
Simons said the problem pushing Pakistan towards nuclear deterrence "is basically your imbalance in the conventional deterrents. So that package included the repeal of the Pressler law which meant release of F-16s, opening up of bilateral economic and military assistance."
About the American package offer to Islamabad, he said Washington offered "economic security" in the form of additional resources from international financial institutions.
"But Pakistan’s mentality at that time was ‘we need Iron-clad guarantees’, which of course don’t exist in the real world", he added.
Describing as "malicious" Pakistan’s reference to the U.S. offer as "peanuts", he said: "I have never seen my country’s offer so much to a non-ally like Pakistan".
"But a large group here said nothing that the outside world could offer was sufficient assurance to Pakistan. The only choice was testing", Simons said, adding Pakistan had (thus) thrown away a "priceless opportunity".

India to persist with no-first-use offer
KARWAR (KARNATAKA), July 19 (PTI) — India would continue to make the no-first-use of nuclear weapons’ proposal to Pakistan despite the neighbouring country rejecting the offer, the Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes, said today.
“We will continue to make the proposal to them,” Mr Fernandes said when newsmen sought his reaction to Pakistan’s rejection of India’s offer of the pact.
On Islamabad’s statement that the offer was ‘self-serving for India’, the minister said, “I do not think we should take such statements very seriously. We have made a serious offer, it is not a casual offer”.
Asked if India should take the initiative to revive the stalled foreign secretary-level talks, he said the two Prime Ministers would meet in less than a week at Colombo during the SAARC meet. “I am sure the matter will be discussed there”.
On what would India’s strategy be with regard to Pakistan, Mr Fernandes, who is here in connection with the Rs 25,000 crore ‘sea bird’ naval base project, said “Do not think you need to have a strategy at every step. Strategy is a long- term assessment of the situation and response”.
Asked if Pakistan should adopt a more conciliatory approach towards India, the minister said “in the ultimate analysis, India and Pakistan have to live together. I hope the Pakistanis will realise that soon”.To a question, he replied, “There is no role for a third party mediation on Kashmir”.
On the economic sanctions imposed by the USA against India following the Pokhran nuclear tests, he said there was a powerful move, both in Congress and among the business community of America, to get them lifted.
Meanwhile, talks on starting the Rs 25,000-crore Sea Bird naval base project, near here, ended in a deadlock, with Mr Fernandes expressing disappointment over it.
"The talks ended in a stalemate because the demands are such that it is not possible for me to take a decision on them", he told reporters after meeting Chief Minister J.H. Patel, state officials and people's representatives.
"I came with the hope that the project will be started, but I am going back with disappointment", Mr Fernandes said but added he would try his best to see that the project takes off in the interest of the country and Karnataka.
The project, for which the foundation stone was laid in October 1986 by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, would be the biggest naval base in Asia when commissioned.
It has developed some hitches, including one relating to rehabilitation of families likely to be displaced due to the project. Asked about the impediments, the minister, who specially came here to discuss the project, did not disclose and said he would apprise the centre about them. "I will see if we can overcome the impediments", he observed.
Earlier, talking to reporters at the helipad, Mr Fernandes said: "There is pressure on me to shift the project". The project, he said, was planned to be implemented in over 25 years with the first phase proposed to be completed in 10 years.
On the Karnataka Government's stand, Mr Fernandes said: "The state is keen to have the project. The Centre is keen to have the project and people are keen to have the project."
The minister evaded a question about the enhanced rehabilitation package for the families likely to be displaced (estimated to be some 4,500), saying "there are a whole lot of questions to be considered."
However, in his chat with reporters at the helipad, he virtually ruled out the demand for a better rehabilitation package as demanded by the families, saying, "we cannot enhance the package from time to time."
Stating that Rs 580 crore had been released to begin the work on the project, he said when the project was completed, the Navy’s operating headquarters would be shifted from Mumbai to Karwar.
At a meeting earlier with state officials, he had said that there was an urgent need to implement the project immediately.
Mr Fernandes said it was not in his powers to concede the demand put forth from "some quarters" and added: "the project is very useful and I have responsibility towards the country’s security and it is my duty to function without any hitches."
The project covers an area of 24 km along the coastline from Binaga in Karwar taluk to Bhavikeri in Ankola taluk of Uttara Kannada district.

Tihar IG writes to Punjab DGP on militants’ issue
By P.P.S Gill
Tribune News Service
CHANDIGARH, July 19 — The Tihar jail Inspector-General, Mr R.S. Gupta has shot off a letter to the Punjab police chief, Mr P.C. Dogra, on the latter’s statement about presence of 25 top militants in the Tihar.
Recent reports in the media quoted Mr Dogra as saying that "25 top ultra" militants in the Tihar jail have an easy access to money and gadgets to get new recruits and forging links with the Kashmiri militants and mafias of Uttar Pradesh.
Mr Dogra wanted jail authorities to "sanitise" their staff and prevent any communication between terrorists lodged in the Tihar, Burail and Jammu jails. The DGP was quoted as saying that one can smuggle explosives into a jail only when the staff is complacent. It is a matter of concern that jails are emerging as the new co-ordination centres for militancy".
According to information available with TNS here the Tihar IG, Mr R.S. Gupta, has shot off a letter pointing out that there had been no "official information" either from Punjab or any other agency regarding such terrorist groups operating in the Tihar jail nor were the jail authorities aware of any such efforts by the Punjab police to supply any information on such activities. Ignoring such a "professional aspect" by the Punjab police has been objected to by Mr Gupta.
Mr Gupta has requested that the Punjab police chief send him the "background information" on "25 top ultra" militants in the Tihar as well as their activities inside the jail as known to him (DGP). This would enable the jail authorities to contribute to the cause of "efficient jail management and national security". Moreover, the Punjab DGP should formalise a "standing committee" so that such a crucial information on prisoners lodged in Delhi prisons flows to right quarters in time.
Mr Dogra acknowledges the receipt of the letter. He said the recent success achieved by the Delhi police in nabbing certain militants and the seizure of a huge amount of RDX etc was due to a tip-off from Punjab. The Delhi police crime branch is questioning certain Tihar jail officials— at least four of them following the seizure of 18 kg RDX from the Punjabi Bagh area.
Mr Dogra told TNS that the police was keen on removing certain inadequacies in the law regarding investigation of terrorism related cases, particularly, in the matter of granting bail, obtaining remand. A proposal to amend the Explosives Act was mooted last year; but nothing tangible has been done, he added.
The Punjab police estimate is that about 4,000 youth, a large number of them ex-militants have migrated illegally to European countries where they had been indoctrinated in "pro-Khalistani ideology". Thus, the Khalistani "talent spotters" have adopted a three-pronged strategy: select devout youth from among illegal migrants, indoctrinate them and send them back through Nepal and with loads of money.
The government should take steps to keep watch on hawala transactions, added Mr Dogra.
Punjab has had a ''stable'' law and order situation despite "operational problems" faced by the police, including tackling attempts at reviving militancy, the D-GP pointed out.
Over 1,850 writ petitions, judicial inquiries and investigations were pending with courts and commissions. Certain police officials, were in jails and many were facing prosecution. The state has only 16 companies of the para-military force.
TADA is yet another grey area. New guidelines have been received from the Centre which, inter alia, require states to give an opportunity to people held under TADA of a hearing so that cases against them were withdrawn on merit. A review of TADA cases was held last week. The Principal Secretary, Home, Mr G.P.S Sahi, told TNS there were 613 cases under trial, involving 1,298 persons.
The number of arrested persons was 1,099. Some had been released on bail, some were absconding, 150 were reported dead and five stood acquitted. Mr Sahi said Punjab was following the guidelines.
Police sources said in the Punjab Police Officers Association there was growing disaffection on the issue of ORP — own rank and pay. This system was introduced at the height of militancy to give "incentive" or "reward" to police officials who did "good work". With the passage of time and change in the situation, the policy of ORP has to be scrapped. The largest number of ORP beneficiaries were in the Patiala police range: 170.
The association memorandum to the government in this regard was being considered.

Pakistan softens stand on CTBT
ISLAMABAD, July 19 (PTI) — Barely a couple of days before the visit of a US envoy to discuss non-proliferation issues, Pakistan has indicated softening of its stand on the crucial subject of comprehensive test ban treaty (CTBT) delinking signing of the treaty with the Indian position and Kashmir imbroglio.
"We do not have a rigid position on this issue’’, Tariq Altaf, spokesman for the Pakistan Foreign Office, told reporters here yesterday clearly indicating that Islamabad’s signing of the CTBT was neither linked with the Indian stand on it nor connected with the Kashmir resolution.
"We are not saying that we can go into it unless a certain solution is reached’’, Altaf said emphatically when asked whether Pakistan would insist on resolution of Kashmir problem first.