Indian PM Focuses on Relations With Pakistan In New Year Message

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, December 31, 2001

Indian PM Focuses on Relations With Pakistan In New Year Message

Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said on Monday that India would intensify efforts in the search for peace if Pakistan sheds its "anti-India mentality" and demonstrates "matching sincerity" to have peace.

"Shed your anti-India mentality and take effective steps to stop cross-border terrorism, and you will find India willing to walk more than half the distance to work closely with Pakistan to resolve, through dialogue, any issue, including the contentious issue of Jammu and Kashmir," Vajpayee wrote in an article titled "We Shall Triumph Against Terrorism", released by the semi-officialPress Trust of India (PTI).

The five-page article, to be published and broadcast on Tuesdayas the prime minister's New Year Message to the country, focuses almost fully on the India-Pakistan ties, the PTI noted.

"Our efforts (for peace) will be further intensified, if Pakistan demonstrates its matching sincerity to have peace with India," said Vajpayee, adding that "it is for Pakistan to make theright choice".

The prime minister said that after the December 13 terrorist attack on the Indian Parliament, New Delhi had "made certain legitimate demands of the government of Pakistan".

"Its (Pakistan's) sincerity to fight terrorism will be determined by the positive response to these demands," he said. "We also hope that our friends in the international community will bring requisite pressure on Pakistan to give up its double standards on terrorism."

Describing the current situation faced by the country as "unprecedented", Vajpayee said "India does not want war", but at the same time asked the Indian people to "be prepared for any eventuality" and also "be prepared to make sacrifices".

To win a "decisive victory" against terrorism was India's New Year resolve, the prime minister concluded.

Arrest "A Step Forward in Correct Direction"

India on Monday termed as "a step forward in the correct direction" reports from Pakistan of arrest of leaders of two militant outfits which India claimed were responsible for the December 13 terrorist attack on the Indian parliament.

"If this information is confirmed, then it is a step forward inthe correct direction," Indian External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India (PTI).

India had received information about "some action" having been taken by Pakistani authorities against the two outfits including arrest of their leaders and raids being conducted on some of theirpremises, Singh noted.

"We hope that such actions against terrorist groups targeting India including Jammu and Kashmir would be pursued vigorously and cross-border terrorism eliminated," he added.

According to another PTI report, India on Monday handed over toPakistan a list of 20 terrorists and criminals involved in "heinous crimes" in India and sought their extradition.

Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner Jaleel Abass Jilani was summoned to the Indian foreign office and handed over the list, anIndian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes on Monday warned Pakistan that India would have to take "very demanding" decisions if its diplomatic efforts to make Islamabad accede to Indian demands regarding terrorism failed.

"So far we have concentrated on the diplomatic offensive and this will continue till one concludes that an end of the road in terms of diplomacy is reached," the defense minister, who is inspecting along the western borders, was quoted as saying by the PTI while addressing troops.

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