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No slackening of defence preparedness: Jaswant

External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh today made it clear that there would be no ''laxity'' in India's defence preparedness and claimed that the Pakistani intrusion in Kargil was an extension of the Islamabad-backed Islamic fundamentalism in Afghanistan.

''Even if we were to have peace talks with Pakistan, there will certainly be no slackening of defence preparedness,'' he said in an interview to Doordarshan.

Singh said the international community had realised that Pakistan was playing a very dangerous and fatal game of promoting Islamic fundamentalism in Afghanistan. His apprehension was that Pakistan had also been affected internally by this fundamentalism and it was now touching India.

''What has happened in Kargil is an extension of Afghanistan and not a fallout of the situation in Srinagar,'' he added and asserted that India would have to face this challenge boldly.

Singh said the entire world was worried about the situation in Pakistan, which had become a safe haven for narcotics, drugs, armaments and terrorism. He wondered if India could establish normal relations with Pakistan if these things were to continue.

''Every time India extends a hand of friendship, Pakistan betrays us. We will have to seriously think what should be done if this state of affairs continues,'' he said.

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had undertaken the bus journey to Lahore in good faith but Pakistan ''turned the bus to Kargil.'' Singh said the bus could be turned back to Lahore, ''but, it is doubtful if the trust can be restored.''

The external affairs minister ruled out talks with Pakistan until Islamabad pulled back all its forces from Kargil, reaffirmed its faith in the Line of Control and ceased to indulge in cross-border terrorism.

He saw no room for any third-party mediation between India and Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir issue and other bilateral disputes. He said India had nothing to do with the joint statement issued in Washington by US President Bill Clinton and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on the Kargil issue.

''We have nothing to do with it. They have issued a statement and we are not worried about it.'' he said.

He did not agree with the suggestion that Pakistan had succeeded in internationalising the Kashmir issue by its Kargil adventure. If it was so, Pakistan would not have been condemned world-wide for its action and nor would have India won such unprecedented support for its position, he said.

Jaswant Singh said India was not scared of talking with Pakistan but at the same time could not be scared into talks. Pakistan would have to learn to respect the sanctity of the LoC and cover a long distance before talks could be resumed, he added.

Asked how Pakistan was able to project itself as a peace-loving nation while portraying India in a negative light, Singh said Islamabad's 'real face' had now been exposed and it stood isolated in the world arena.

The minister said the world now recognised India's position in the sub-continent and also realised what Pakistan had become. The support for India had strengthened its position, he added.

All the member-countries of SAARC in India's neighbourhood understood and appreciated New Delhi's position on the Kargil issue. He saw no role for NAM in the disputes between India and Pakistan.

Singh, however, admitted that the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) did take a contrary view from what its member-countries individually told India on Indo-Pak relations. He said India needs to make consistent efforts to make the OIC understand that India had more Muslims than Pakistan and it was committed to the welfare of all its communities.

UNI

The Kargil Crisis

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