Pak claims India trying to 'externalise' its problems

Rezaul H Laskar

Islamabad, Mar 26 (PTI) Pakistan Thursday dismissed
India's contention that the 17 militants killed during the
five-day Kupwara encounter were assisted by Pakistani security
forces, charging that it was an attempt by New Delhi to
"externalise" its problems.

There had been a "spate of statements from India which
are designed to portray Pakistan as the core of problems
bedevilling India," Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit told
reporters here.

Basit was responding to a question on an Indian Army
official's comments that 17 militants killed in Kupwara
recently were from Lashker-e-Taiba and equipment seized from
them indicated that Pakistani security forces had assisted
them in infiltrating into the Indian territory.

He said such remarks were "evidently self-serving and
tend to externalise India's problems as part of (that
country's) election campaign."

Pakistan wants "good neighbourly relations" with India
and wishes to resume the process of engagement for "all-round
cooperation and the just and durable settlement of all
outstanding issues, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute,"
Basit said.

India suspended the Composite Dialogue process with
Pakistan in the wake of last year's Mumbai attacks, which were
blamed on Pakistan-based elements including the LeT.

Brig Gurmit Singh, Brigadier General Staff of the Indian
Army's Srinagar-based 15 Corps, said Wednesday that the 17
terrorists killed in operations in Kupwara belonged to the
Pakistan-based LeT and were "highly trained, well-knitted and
indoctrinated".

Diplomatic sources told PTI that there had been several
instances in the recent past of the Pakistani troops providing
cover fire for terrorists attempting to sneak across the Line
of Control.

This had happened despite the ceasefire put in place
along the LoC in late 2003, they said. PTI RHL
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