India's Commitment To Peace "Remains Unchanged" A day after inviting Pakistan's military ruler gen Pervez Musharraf for talks, India today asserted that there was no dilution of its fight against terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and that its commitment to peace, dialogue and cooperative co-existence with Islamabad "remains unchanged".
"There is no question of climbing down on the issue of terrorism," an external affairs ministry spokesman told reporters while replying to a spate of questions on yesterday's government announcement.
The spokesman also sought to clarify that there was no change in government's position by inviting Musharraf for talks. "Our stand remains unchanged".
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He was asked about New Delhi's oft-repeated assertion that Pakistan had to create a conducive atmosphere by stopping cross-border terrorism and hostile propaganda against India for any meaningful dialogue to take place.
Relative peace along the line of control on account of restraint exercised by both sides were among factors that were taken into account for the dialogue offer, he said.
A formal invitation to Musharraf would be extended "very shortly", the spokesman said but declined to specify any timeframe for the meeting.
Asked whether India still maintained that Islamabad was responsible for violence in Kashmir, he said "there are terrorist groups which are operating from Pakistan".
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Considerable lowering of cross-LOC exchange of fire during this period was another element taken into consideration for the government move, the spokesman said.
New delhi, he said, had always been in favour of dialogue and resumption of the Lahore peace process. Prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had set in motion a peace process by his historic and path-breaking visit to Lahore in 1999, he recalled.
On Pakistan's demand for involvement of the Hurriyat conference in the parleys, he reiterated government stand that the invitation was for Musharraf.
New delhi has made it clear that Hurriyat or other groups had no role whatsoever in indo-pak talks. At the same time, it has also ruled out tripartite talks with the militant groups involving Pakistan.
Government had stated yesterday that the process of dialogue initiatied by Vajpayee under K.C. Pant would continue unhindered and renewed its invitation to all sections in J&K to join this dialogue.
Asked whether the Kashmir issue would figure prominently in the Vajpayee-Musharraf parleys, the spokesman pointed out that this was one of the eight subjects of the composite dialogue process stalled since october, 1998.
External affairs minister Jaswant Singh had yesterday said the composite dialogue process could be a "starting point" for talks between the two sides.
He replied in negative to a question whether India had consulted any country before offering to resume dialogue with Islamabad.
