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Musharraf's brinkmanship forced Centre
to harden stand on Hurriyat

India hardened its stand on Hurriyat leaders meeting Gen Pervez Musharraf during his impending visit to India in July after the Pakistani president claimed in Islamabad that New Delhi had invited him for talks on Kashmir under US pressure, a senior official in the Prime Minister's Office said on Thursday.

"India cannot make concessions to Pakistan as its leadership at the highest level indulges in one-upmanship on the issue of Kashmir by portraying us as weaklings. Our leadership has told Islamabad that it should not misinterpret New Delhi's peaceful overtures. We are clear that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India," the official told rediff.com.

He indicated that Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was 'furious' when he heard about Gen Musharraf's claim.

Consequently, the Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan Vijay K Nambiar was instructed to convey to the leadership in Islamabad that New Delhi would not permit Hurriyat leaders to meet Gen Musharraf.

"Now, maybe they (Islamabad) will realise we cannot be taken for granted, much less, portrayed as being at a disadvantage," the official averred.

He indicated that in the light of Gen Musharraf's claim, New Delhi would insist that Islamabad reciprocate the latter's efforts to find a 'meeting ground' on issues of bilateral interest, including Kashmir.

The official line, as laid out by ministry of external affairs spokeswoman Nirupama Rao on Thursday, was that the government's decision was taken 'in the process of consultations for the talks'.

She did not elaborate.

Asked whether the government would physically prevent Hurriyat leaders if they tried to sneak into the proposed tea party to be hosted by Pakistan High Commissioner Ashraf Jahangir Qazi in honour of Gen Musharraf, Rao merely smiled.

Asked to comment on the Hurriyat's reported insistence that the Organisation of Islamic Conference be involved in the peace process in Kashmir, she said, "We have always dismissed interventionist approaches in our internal affairs."

Meanwhile, stung by the government's renewed resolve not to allow them to meet the Pakistani president, Hurriyat spokesman Abdul Majid Banday told reporters that the 23-party conglomerate's executive committee would meet next week to take stock of the situation.

He said that the government's action amounted to 'ordering Gen Musharraf not to meet the Hurriyat leaders' without whom no solution could be found for the Kashmir problem.

Another Hurriyat leader indicated that the government's decision might decision might 'derail the impending Vajpayee-Musharraf talks'.

Indo-Pak Summit 2001: The Complete Coverage

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