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Government cuts India, Pakistan diplomatic strength by half

Stepping up its diplomatic offensive against Pakistan, India on Thursday decided to reduce the strength of high commissions in New Delhi and Islamabad by half. Both the missions have a sanctioned strength of 110 personnel, excluding families.

The decision will be implemented in 48 hours, External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh said in New Delhi on Thursday after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security, which was chaired by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Briefing reporters in Shastri Bhavan, Singh also said Pakistan and its airlines would not be allowed to use the Indian airspace from January 1, 2002.

The staff of Pakistan High Commission in Delhi and their families would not be allowed to move out of the municipal limits of the national capital, he said

On reduction of the strength of the Pakistani mission, Singh said, "This is particularly important in the context of recent events, wherein official of the Pakistan High Commission have been involved in espionage as well as in direct dealings with terrorist organisations."

Asked about the possibility of war, Singh said, "There is no need for anyone to worry. We are fully prepared."

Singh dismissed reports that India was considering withdrawing Most Favoured Status to Pakistan.

Accusing Islamabad of duping the international community with half measures, non-measures and fictitious incidents, Singh said, "This is not acceptable."

Stating that Pakistan's steps against the Lashker-e-Tayiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed were inadequate, the foreign minister said, "Terrorism cannot simply be justified on any grounds or any name. It must be eradicated fully."

"I am not going to speculate what other options remain. Let us not speculate," Singh said.

He said India had spelt out at the very beginning what was expected of a definite action against JeM and LeT -- their banning, seizure of assets and arrests of people concerned.

The military regime in Pakistan had made a joke regarding the arrest of Jaish chief Maulana Masood Azhar, as they had arrested his brother, who was let off after a day, Singh said.

In an apparent reference to Dawood Ibrahim, he said a number of known criminals were finding shelter in Pakistan. "If you join the international coalition, then please act in accordance with what you have stated in your objective in joining the international coalition against terrorism," he said.

Members of Parliament in groups will shortly travel to several parts of the world to convince the international community about India's position, Singh said, and added that the prime minister was considering the proposal.

Singh said there was increasing recognition in the international community that Pakistan must act against the terrorist groups. "The faster it acts, the better it is for all of us," he added.

He said the US had recognised that terrorist groups like the Lashker and Jaish were getting direct support from Pakistan and that was why Washington had asked Islamabad to act against these groups.

On his conversation with US Secretary of State Colin Powell, he said he was "more candid" and told him that there couldn't be double standards on terrorism.

"There can be no differentiation on terrorism. There cannot be good terrorism and bad terrorism," he said. The US also subscribes to this view, he added.

On Powell's suggestion that India and Pakistan hold talks to resolve the problem, the foreign minister said it was "not practical nor possible".

To a question on reduction of mission staff, he said the Pakistan High Commission had to decide whom to call back, as it was their "sovereign right". Similarly, the Indian government would decide who should return from Pakistan.

Singh said the actions were meant to impress on Pakistan the need to recognise the enormity of the attack on Indian Parliament on December 13, "which was an attack on the sovereignty of India".

"It is not a question of compliance but recognition on the part of Pakistan and for them to take necessary consequential steps," he said.

The SAARC summit would be held as scheduled in Kathmandu, Nepal, from January 4 to 6 and the tension along the Indo-Pak border would have no effect on it, Singh said.

Meanwhile, the Congress declined to make any immediate comment on the government's diplomatic offensive against Pakistan.

"The party would first like to study the decision of the government before making any comments," congress spokesman Anand Sharma said.

PTI

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