Acknowledging there had been ‘‘at least some’’ positive response to its 12 proposals, New Delhi in the same breath today attacked Islamabad for raking up Kashmir and deliberately attaching unacceptable strings to most proposals. Incensed with the Pak offer to Kashmiris — help for the disabled, widows and victims of rape — and its stand that it was a disputed area, the Government hit back, saying ‘‘Jammu and Kashmir is not a disputed territory and the only issue that remains to be resolved for a final settlement of J&K is the question of Pakistan’s illegal occupation of a portion of the state.’’ YES, IT'S ON: • Senior citizens can cross border on foot • Linking Coast Guards • Sporting ties • Fishermen’s release • Talks on air links • Medical treatment for kids BIG NO TO: • Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus under UN supervision • Help for Kashmir’s disabled, widows, rape victims, students • Delinking train talks from air talks • Back to pre-Dec 13, 2001 mission strength Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Navtej Sarna, in a 12-point statement, said: ‘‘We are amused at Pakistan’s profession of concern for the disabled and negatively affected people in Jammu and Kashmir.’’ Calling it a ‘‘ploy’’ to camouflage Islamabad’s sponsorship to terrorism, Sarna said: ‘‘If Pakistan’s concerns are really sincere, it should take steps to end infiltration, dismantle the infrastructure of support to terrorism and offer compensation to those affected by the terrorism it has sponsored.’’ While New Delhi promised ‘‘immediate implementation’’ of the proposals accepted by Islamabad, it pointed out that ‘‘impractical, extraneous and delaying conditions’’ had been attached to the other offers. It hit out at Pakistan’s offer of 100 scholarships to Kashmiri students, saying Islamabad was out to draw region-specific proposals. ‘‘India has never adopted, for instance, a selective approach for Baluchistan, Sindh or NWFP or for any particular community. Our offers have been available to any Pakistani. If Pakistan were to make non-discriminatory and general offers of cooperation, then it would no doubt contribute to taking the process further,’’ Sarna said. Criticising Pakistan for delaying measures to improve people-to-people contact, Sarna pointed out that Pakistan had not agreed to run more Delhi-Lahore buses and had linked the operation of the Mumbai-Karachi ferry service and the Khokhrapar-Munabao rail to the start of dialogue between the two countries. On the proposal to start a bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, Sarna said: ‘‘Our offer for the bus link was motivated by humanitarian considerations. It is unfortunate that Pakistan has instead opted to politicise and disrupt this by attaching conditions that they knew would not be acceptable.’’ He pointed out that even now people from these regions travel across the international border without any UN-authorised documents suggested by Pakistan. On the issue of increasing mission strength, New Delhi said it was ready for a ‘‘calibrated increase’’ — Pakistan wants it restored to 110 which existed pre-December 13, 2001 — but felt this was not a case for putting on hold the opening of visa centres in cities other than New Delhi and Islamabad. The Government urged Pakistan to reconsider its stand. New Delhi, however, made it known that that it would start the process of implementing proposals like allowing senior citizens above the age of 65 to cross Wagah on foot, steps to work out modalities for links between Coast Guards and release of fishermen within a month. Sarna said New Delhi would have preferred an arrangement where fishermen are not arrested. On air and rail link talks, the Government stuck to its stand: while agreeing to discuss air link restoration on December 1 and 2, New Delhi said it was also open to technical discussions in mid-December on the Samjhauta Express but only ‘‘after the successful conclusion’’ of civil aviation talks.
