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Indian Leader Accuses Pakistan of Restarting Hostilities in Kashmir Skirmishes Threaten Pakistan-India Thaw
(about 7 hours later)
NEW DELHI — Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India on Tuesday made what may be one of his most aggressive public statements ever about Pakistan, accusing the neighboring country of restarting hostilities in the disputed Kashmir region last week and saying the action had halted growing cooperation between the two. NEW DELHI — Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India on Tuesday made what may be one of his most aggressive public statements ever about Pakistan, saying that renewed hostilities between the countries in the disputed Kashmir region had made a continued thaw in relations impossible.
“After this dastardly act, there can’t be business as usual with Pakistan,” Mr. Singh told the local television station NDTV, referring to a recent episode in which, India claims, an Indian soldier was beheaded by Pakistani soldiers. Hours later, Pakistan accused the Indian military of an unprovoked attack, saying it had shot across the contested Line of Control border the countries share and killed a Pakistani soldier, bringing the total death toll in the skirmishes to five over the past week.
India and Pakistan have maintained a cease-fire since November 2003, and relations had been improving over the past year. But on Jan. 6, Pakistan accused the Indian Army of crossing the Line of Control, the disputed border the two countries share, and killing one Pakistani soldier and wounding another. India denied these accusations, and two days later accused Pakistan of killing two Indian soldiers at the line and of beheading one of them. Pakistan denied these charges. India and Pakistan had maintained a cease-fire since November 2003, and relations had been improving over the past year. But on Jan. 6, Pakistan accused the Indian Army of crossing the Line of Control and killing one Pakistani soldier and wounding another. India denied these accusations, and two days later accused Pakistan of killing two Indian soldiers at the line and of beheading one of them. Pakistan denied these charges.
India’s external affairs minister, Salman Khurshid, echoed the prime minister’s words in a statement issued later Tuesday. Responding to the attack and beheading, Mr. Singh told the local television station NDTV on Tuesday that, “after this dastardly act, there can’t be business as usual with Pakistan.” India’s external affairs minister, Salman Khurshid, echoed the prime minister’s words in a statement issued later Tuesday.
“It should not be felt that the brazen denial and the lack of a proper response from the government of Pakistan to our repeated demarches on this incident will be ignored and that bilateral relations could be unaffected or that there will be business as usual,” Mr. Khurshid said. Calling the Pakistani Army’s purported actions “in contravention of all norms of international conduct,” and a “grave provocation,” Mr. Khurshid said they shed doubts on Pakistan’s seriousness about normalizing relations with India.“It should not be felt that the brazen denial and the lack of a proper response from the government of Pakistan to our repeated demarches on this incident will be ignored and that bilateral relations could be unaffected or that there will be business as usual,” Mr. Khurshid said. Calling the Pakistani Army’s purported actions “in contravention of all norms of international conduct,” and a “grave provocation,” Mr. Khurshid said they shed doubts on Pakistan’s seriousness about normalizing relations with India.
On Monday, Gen. Bikram Singh, the chief of the Indian Army, warned that India could retaliate. “If provoked, we will retaliate,” he told reporters in New Delhi. “We reserve the right to retaliate at a time of our choosing.” On Monday, Gen. Bikram Singh, the chief of the Indian Army, warned that India could retaliate. “If provoked, we will retaliate,” he told reporters in New Delhi. “We reserve the right to retaliate at a time of our choosing.” However, there was no immediate comment from the Indian military about the Pakistani claim that it had resumed shooting on Tuesday.
Serious military action between the two nations, which have nuclear weapons, seems unlikely, analysts in India said in recent days. Still, civilians may be already be feeling an impact. On Tuesday, India was supposed to start a “visa on arrival” program for senior citizens from Pakistan. Instead, that program was put on hold, The Press Trust of India reported. Serious military action between the two nations, which have nuclear weapons, seems unlikely, analysts in India said in recent days. Still, civilians may already be feeling an impact. On Tuesday, India was supposed to start a “visa on arrival” program for older residents of Pakistan. Instead, that program was stalled, The Press Trust of India reported.