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West cold-shouldered Pak into talks

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

Pakistan held out the olive branch to India after the West ignored its frantic efforts to internationalise the Kargil conflict, government officials have said.

Senior external affairs ministry officials told Rediff On The NeT that Pakistan's overtures to Western countries -- notably the United States of America and the United Kingdom -- to intervene in the Kargil conflict, had virtually been rejected, leaving Islamabad in a dilemma.

Pakistan had been hopeful that some of its Western sympathisers would make an issue out of the ongoing conflict and force India to accept international mediation which New Delhi has categorically and consistently rejected, the officials emphasised.

They said Russia, which had been closely monitoring the Kargil developments, had indicated to the Indian authorities that it would not permit any 'foul play' in Kashmir and would use its clout among the P-5 countries to stress the need for restoring the status quo ante in the Kargil sector.

That was why Moscow had recently asserted that it would block any Pakistan-propelled resolution regarding 'external intervention' on the Kargil conflict.

According to the officials, Indian Ambassador to the US Naresh Chandra had provided US state department officials, including spokesman James Rubin, with 'genuine, fool-proof documentary evidence' of Pakistan's involvement in the Kargil developments.

Consequently, Rubin told the media at the weekend that the infiltrators had occupied Indian positions, the officials emphasised.

It was pointed out that the UK, France and other NATO countries have supported the US contention that Pakistani infiltrators have occupied Indian positions.

The development came as shock to Islamabad, forcing it sound out New Delhi for talks.

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