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| PM's two remarks cause flutter in Islamabad and Kashmir valley | | |
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's two remarks caused a flutter not only in the Kashmir valley but in Pakistan too.His first statement during his address to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort in Delhi on the independence Day,in which he had stated that vigorous participation of people in Jammu and Kashmir in the Assembly and the Lok Sabha elections had proved that there was no space in the state for separatistss thought and ideology enraged the hardliners among separatists to such an extent that Syed Ali Shah Geelani gave a call for Kashmir shutdown on Saturday in protest against Manmohan's remarks.In fact Geelani wants to demonstrate the extent of space that Kashmir has for the separatist ideology and that he can do if his call for shutdown evoked complete response.Reports said that the shutdown is to be observed after a gap of one week of the PM's remarks and these seven days are being utilised by the separatists to gartner support for the
Bandh call.Once people in the valley and some parts in the Jammu region responded fully it would lead to an embarrassing situation for the Government of India in general and the Prime Minister in particular.Since during the last 20 years one had witnessed complete shutdown even at the drop of the hat Geelani's call for Bandh on Saturday would evoke response.If it happens the Government can try for face saving by saying the people in two other regions did not respond to the call for the shutdown.Another remark of the Prime Minister attracted immediate reaction from Islamabad.Addressing a conference of Chief Ministers in Delhi on Monday Manmohan Singh stated that Pakistani terror groups were planning fresh attacks in India.He had even indirectly blamed the agencies across the LOC for trying to assist groups of militants,equipped with better weapons and sophisticated communication system,in infiltrating into Jammu and Kashmir.The Pakistan Foreign
Office summoned India's Deputy High commissioner where the Director General (south Asia) conveyed to the Indian official Islamabad's protest against Manmohan Singh's remarks.The Pakistan official told the Indian Deputy High Commissioner that the PM's remarks warrant "serious and prompt attention."In fact Pakistan denied that terror groups were trying to repeat Mumbai incident in other Indian cities and towns.Well Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would have not made such remarks unless he had the feedback from the official agencies and that is why he said that credible reports indicated that Pakistan terror groups were planning fresh attacks in India.It was again the official reports that he said the level of infiltration of battle hardened militants had gone up.Even official report in Srinagar confirmed it and said that activists of Lashkar-i-Toiba had been brought on the launching pads across Kupwara,Keran,Machel,Tangdhar ,Poonch and Rajouri for
the purpose of infiltrating,in small groups,into Jammu and Kashmir. Even for the decline in the level of violence he has not attributed it to the steps taken by the Pakistan security forces and the Army.Isntead he said that drop in violence was the result of 2004 peace process initiated by Delhi and Islamabad.He was in favaour of resumption of the India-Pakistan dialogue but only after Pakistan took adequate steps for dismantling the terror infrastructure in that country.His remarks were meant to warn Islamabad and convey to the world leaders,especially the US Government,his concern over continued threat perception from across the LOC in Jammu and Kashmir.It is hoped that in the context of the PM's remarks on terror groups active in Pakistan that the US and allied nations mounted additional pressure on Islamabad to intensify operations against the terrorists.
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