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Govt moots 'hot pursuit' to end J&K militancy

Amberish K Diwanji in New Delhi

The government intends to follow up its tough words on Kashmir with matching action. It is seriously considering the option of "hot pursuit" and the targeting of militant camps across the border in a bid to fight the militancy that is rampaging through the state.

Hot pursuit means that security forces will chase militants across the international border or the Line of Control into Pakistan in its effort to combat the terrorists.

Pakistan Chief Executive Officer General Pervez Musharraf has warned that should India cross the LoC, "We'll teach India a lesson." He made these comments in an interview to a Pakistani newspaper.

Musharraf's statement followed a series of clashes along the LoC. Both sides claim that the other side crossed the LoC.

So far, in its fight against the terrorists, India has always refrained from crossing the international border or the LoC fearing that it might lead to more trouble, perhaps even an all-out war, something that New Delhi has always been keen to avoid.

In fact, India has been so eager to avoid a war that even when the Pakistani forces intruded and held territory in India at Kargil, the Indian government limited its war to the Kargil sector despite pressure from the army to be allowed to open fronts in other sectors.

This action during the Kargil war did win India world acclaim for its restraint, but it has done little to stop militancy in the Kashmir valley.

To make matters worse for the Indian security forces, after Kargil the militants appear bolder and have carried out attacks on army camps, including an attack on the headquarters of the 15 Corps in Srinagar. Suicide squads have been operating in the valley, and the government is now desperate to stop them.

The government has stated that terrorism in Kashmir seems to have found a fresh lease ever since the Kargil war ended in July 1999 and after the army took over Pakistan in a coup d'etat in October 1999.

Last week, the cabinet held a meeting to discuss the situation in Kashmir. After the Cabinet meeting, Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani informed the media that the government would pursue a "pro-active" policy in dealing with the Kashmiri militants. He, however, did not mention hot pursuit as being part of the policy but instead spoke about restructuring the security forces.

The Indian Army and security forces have over the years been demanding the right to cross the LoC in pursuit of the terrorists and even the right to strike at the militants' training camps located just a few miles inside Pakistan-occupied Kashmir from the LoC. The army has pointed out that not being able to do so hampers their operations, giving the militants the upper hand.

However, so far the government has outright refused any such permission, and thus the militants have always been able to get away after striking by simply crossing the border and seeking their haven in the training camps.

Despite the government's intention of hot pursuit, it is learnt that any such action is not likely in the very near future. Right now, the mountain passes in Kashmir are blocked by heavy snow, which will not start melting till April. Therefore, any action of hot pursuit can only be put into action after April.

India has repeatedly warned Pakistan against providing sanctuary and arms and ammunition to the militants, a charge that Islamabad denies, claiming it only provides moral and diplomatic support to the Kashmir "freedom fighters".

Incidentally, international law recognises the right of a country to carry out hot pursuit in its national interest. India can legally claim that it is only crossing the LoC to attack the camps of the militants and is not targeting either Pakistani army or civilians in PoK. Pakistan is also a signatory to various anti-terrorist conventions, many of which allow hot pursuit.

However, given the tense Indo-Pakistan relations and Pakistan's avowed support for the Kashmiri militants, it is doubtful if Islamabad will accept such legal niceties.

The Indian government has also provided the Western governments, especially the United States, with evidence of the training camps inside Pakistan. Last year, when the US fired missiles at camps inside Afghanistan in its bid to target Osama bin Laden, India too demanded the right to target the militants' camps. However, the US insisted that the situation in Kashmir was not comparable to the terrorism inflicted upon the US by bin Laden, a statement Indian leaders denounced as revealing Washington's double standards.

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