No proposal on safe passage: Lanpher
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, June 27 — India today reiterated that it would not entertain third-party mediation on the Kashmir issue even as the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Mr Gibson Lanpher, briefed the Indian side on the talks held by a US delegation in Pakistan.

Mr Lanpher, who accompanied US Central Commander-in-Chief Gen Anthony Zinni to Islamabad in a bid to defuse the tension between India and Pakistan, met the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Mr Brajesh Mishra, and senior officials of the Ministry of External Affairs to brief them about the discussions held by General Zinni in Islamabad.

An official spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs said Mr Lanpher had not brought any specific proposal from Islamabad and the reported "exit corridor" for the armed intruders did not figure in the discussions.

Mr Lanpher on his part maintained that he had brought no specific proposals on safe passage or anything else from Islamabad.

"I am here to brief your government on US Central Command Chief Gen Anthony Zinni’s mission to Islamabad", he said.

Mr Lanpher met the Joint Secretaries in charge of the USA, and Canada and Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, for about two hours and later called on Mr Brajesh Mishra, who is also Adviser to the National Security Council, for 45 minutes.

Refusing to divulge details of the talks, the Indian spokesman said: "It is imperative that Pakistan heeds the advice of the international community and take immediate steps to withdraw the armed intruders from the Indian side of the Line of Control and ensure that such violation does not recur in the future."

He said once the armed intrusion was withdrawn, it was possible to take steps to resume the composite dialogue process that responded to the wishes of the people of both India and Pakistan to live in peace and amity.

When asked whether the US decision to hold talks with both India and Pakistan did not mean third-party mediation, the spokesman said "these are normal, diplomatic exchanges".

He clarified that no proposal on "exit corridor" for the intruders had been received by India.

It is understood that the Indian side made it clear to the US official that restoration of status quo ante by Pakistan and withdrawal of its troops from the Indian side of the LoC are mandatory for any resumption of bilateral dialogue.

The spokesman dismissed an observation that Pakistani withdrawal from the occupied territories amounted to concession. "It is important for Pakistan to vacate occupied areas. It is not a concession," he pointed out.

A brief statement read out by the spokesman said New Delhi had announced a few days ago that it had accepted with appreciation the offer of the US Government to brief it on the discussions held by a senior US military delegation led by General Zinni with the Pakistani leadership.

On Pakistan Army chief’s statement that Islamabad would not consider any unilateral withdrawal of its troops from Kargil, he described it a ‘’contradiction of the earlier statement of the Pakistani establishment which said it was not responsible or involved in the intrusions in Kargil".

All-party meeting on Kargil today
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, June 27 — An all party meeting convened by the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, here tomorrow is likely to be a stormy affair with the Bharatiya Janata Party and other political parties divided over a proposal to convene a special session of the Rajya Sabha to discuss all aspects of the Kargil conflict.

Leaders of parties represented in the Rajya Sabha and the dissolved Lok Sabha have been invited to the meeting.

The meeting assumes significance as several parties have charged the Vajpayee government with keeping them in the dark on the Kargil developments.

Opposition parties have been demanding a session of the Rajya Sabha since the Lok Sabha has been dissolved. They maintain that there is a need for political appraisal of the situation as the security issue concerns the whole nation.

A former Prime Minister, Mr Inder Kumar Gujral, has also stated that the Prime Minister should utilise the collective wisdom of all parties in tackling issues concerning the security of the nation.

The Congress, apart from raising the issue of convening a session of the Rajya Sabha, is expected to reiterate its demand that the government presents a White Paper on the Kargil issue.

The Nationalist Congress Party headed by Mr Sharad Pawar has favoured the Rajya Sabha session only to send a strong signal that the country is united behind the armed forces in flushing out Pakistan-backed intruders.

Mr Pawar has said that any criticism regarding the handling of the situation at this stage will only go against the national interest.

The BJP’s opposition to the convening of the Rajya Sabha at this juncture is likely to be supported by the Telegu Desam Party and the Lok Shakti.

The TDP President, Mr N.Chandrababu Naidu, was quoted as saying in Hyderabad that he did not favour convening of the Rajya Sabha to discuss the Kargil developments as it might lead to unnecessary politicisation of the sensitive issue.

He said though the TDP was not against the Rajya Sabha being summoned this was not the time to discuss who had failed. Instead, the entire nation should stand by the armed forces to protect the country’s territorial integrity.

The Lok Shakti, an ally of the BJP, said here today convening a special session of the Rajya Sabha was not constitutionally tenable.

The party maintained that if the Rajya Sabha was convened it would set a pernicious precedent.

The Lok Sabha elections are due. At this stage, there is no constitutional validity for summoning a session of the Rajya Sabha, it said.

The BJP is also likely to face flak from several parties tomorrow for trying to make political capital out of the Kargil developments.