Farooq to visit Delhi today
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, May 21 — The Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, is scheduled to visit Delhi tomorrow to ‘‘awaken’’ the Centre regarding the grim situation in the Kargil-Dras belt where during the past 13 days over 400 Pakistani infiltrators have occupied vantage posts in an area of some 40 sq km.

Informed sources said the Chief Minister was of the opinion that the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, had not so far given any clear instructions to the Army authorities as to what strategy they should adopt in the light of the request from field commanders in the Kargil sector that the areas occupied by the Pakistani infiltrators be strafed by IAF fighter planes.

The sources said the Centre had suggested to the Army authorities to go slow in their anti-insurgency operations and push back the militants from their hideouts in a phased manner even if it meant some delay. However, the Centre is under pressure to give clearance for carrying out serial operations against the militants because during the past one week there has been no major progress in the plan of throwing out infiltrators from their well-fortified areas.

Though heavy reinforcements of troops have been rushed to the Kargil-Dras-Batalik belt during the past one week, the infiltrators have not shown any inclination to either surrender or cross over the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Reports indicate that they have instructions to stay put and keep on firing on Indian posts from their LMGs and MMGs. They have been assured that the Pakistani troops will continue to provide fire cover to them if the Indian troops mount a major offensive.

According to these reports, the Indian troops have suspended aerial surveillance during the past three days following the threat of losing helicopters in the counter-attack the infiltrators may launch from the mountain belts.