India rejects 'escalation' charge, asks Pak to do more

Rejecting Pakistan's contentions, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Tuesday that there had been no escalation of tensions on the part of India and that its military movements were routine winter exercises.

Telling Pakistan that "there is no need of creating an atmosphere or some sort of hysteria", the minister said that there was no tension as was borne by the fact that India was releasing some 67 Pakistanis detained for visa violations.

Moreover, like in the past, India and Pakistan will be exchanging information on nuclear confidence building measures on the New Year's Day, he told a news agency here. Mukherjee was clear about what India wants from Pakistan--dismantling of terrorist camps, taking action against those involved in terror attacks and handing over of fugitives of Indian laws like the chief of the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) Masood Azhar.

Disagreeing with suggestions that India should recall its High Commissioner from Pakistan and put economic squeeze on Pakistan, he said while it cannot be "business as usual" with Islamabad, "I do feel still we should continue to put pressure diplomatically through international community to achieve our objectives."

About the investigation into the Mumbai terror attack, Mukherjee said that these were in the final stages and will be shared with Pakistan and others, Mukherjee said.

The minister told Pakistan, "Please fulfil your commitments and do the job you are expected to do."

Pakistan, he emphasised, will have to act on the evidence India gives to it. "And there has to be credible evidence that they are acting on it," he added.

He recalled that way back in January, 2004 the then President Pervez Musharraf and more recently President Asif Ali Zardari had given commitments Pakistan's territory would not be allowed to be used by terrorists against India.

"We are only asking that you fulfil these commitments you have made. Kindly dismantle the infrastructural facilities, dismantle the camps...upto now we have not seen any such thing," the External Affairs Minister said.

Pakistan, he emphasised, will have to act on evidence India gives to it. "And there has to be credible evidence that they are acting on it."

While maintaining his stand that India was keeping all options open, the External Affairs Minister recalled that he had stated in Parliament that war was not a solution.

India would continue to put pressure on Pakistan through diplomacy and "we would like to see what is the final outcome of it".

Refuting suggestions that diplomatic efforts had failed, Mukherjee said that New Delhi had been able to create awareness all over the world. "We shall have to make these efforts, howsoever strenuous they may be....we shall have to build up the pressure on Pakistan."

Mukherjee said Pakistan continued to be in denial mode and as of now India has not seen any action on its part on its demands. "If simply they deny and go into denial mode how does it help," he asked.

Asked about the number of terrorist camps in Pakistan, the minister disclosed that "the latest information" given by India to that country shows that the number was 30 plus.

"Sometimes they change their names, sometimes they change their locations but the persons are the same."

When asked if India would be satisfied by the Pakistan government putting to trial the fugitives it wanted, Mukherjee remarked that even the probe into the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was not handed over to Pakistani authorities but to the UN.

"The question is how to address the terrorist activities that are hurting us and which are emanating from Pakistan... The question is how they can fulfill their own commitment," Mukherjee said.

"The crux of the issue is that the problem (of cross-border terrorism) has to be addressed and the sooner they do it, better it is for them and for us," he said.

Mukherjee particularly referred to Masood Azhar and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), front organisation of Lashkar-e-Taiba, and said that Pakistan should act against them in a convincing way.

On Azhar, the External Affairs Minister said the JeM chief was linked to internationally-recognised serious offence of hijacking but Pakistan was not handing him over despite his being "visible" in that country.

Instead of handing him over to India as per the international law, Pakistan was indulging in contradictions by first saying he had been put under house arrest and later denying his presence in Pakistan.

Similar was the approach on sending Director General of ISI to India in connection with probe into Mumbai attacks, a promise on which Pakistan went back, he pointed out.

Regarding JuD, which was banned by Pakistan after UN Security Council imposed sanctions on the outfit earlier this month, Mukherjee questioned how the group was still active, even for charitable works, despite the "ban".

Rejecting Pakistan's contention, he said there was no tension from Indian side because it does not consider the attacks in Mumbai and other places being linked to Indo-Pak ties.

"We are suggesting you (Pakistan) fulfill these commitments you have made (of dismantling terror camps). When these things are adequately addressed, I think what we are asking for will be responded.

"But upto now, we have not seen any such thing. Rather, what we have seen is an attempt to divert attention to create tension," Mukherjee said, asking Pakistan to "do the job you are expected to do".

Asserting that India has not created any tension, he said New Delhi has made it clear to the international community as well that it has no intention to create tension.

To a question on India reaching out to Pakistan's allies China and Saudi Arabia besides the US and others, he said New Delhi is in touch with the international community as part of its efforts to build pressure on Islamabad.

On Pakistan government's problems in meeting India's demands because of army and ISI, he said he would not like to comment on the complex situation prevailing in Pakistan.

"I am concerned only with the results. Whoever is responsible. In conversation with one of my interlocutors, I told him when there is a military ruler in Pakistan, we have attack on Parliament. When there is a democratic government in Pakistan, we have attack on Mumbai, unprecedented in its ferocity and audacity.

"Therefore, where is the respite. Internal politics of Pakistan, let it remain there, and let them handle it the way they want to. We want that in our relationship it should not be strained because of these elements. appropriate actions should be taken against them," he said.