It would be wrong to assume that Sharif is not in command8217;

Even as it decided to go in for air operations to flush out the Pakistan-backed intruders in the Kargil region, the Atal Behari Vajpayee ...

Even as it decided to go in for air operations to flush out the Pakistan-backed intruders in the Kargil region, the Atal Behari Vajpayee Government decided to use the services of former prime minister Inder Kumar Gujral to talk to Pakistan Premier Nawaz Sharif in a two-track diplomatic effort.

NEERJA CHOWDHURY spoke to Gujral a couple of hours after UN Secretary General Kofi Annan called him on the telephone from Sweden to consult him on the emerging situation in Jammu and Kashmir and minutes before he went to meet President K.R. Narayanan. But, despite the pressures, the former prime minister was his savvy self and seemed convinced that the Government needed to take the steps required to create a unified national response.

Do you think the intrusion into the Kargil sector means that Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has become a prisoner of the army and the ISI in his country?
I don8217;t think so. In the past couple of years, there has been a change in the situation in his favour. Youhave to keep in mind the change of President Leghari, Nawaz Sharif8217;s struggle with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the Opposition, his getting the better of the situation in Sindh, the appointment of the director of the ISI and the change of the army chief. I don8217;t go along with this thesis. It would be wrong to assume that Nawaz Sharif is not the master of the situation.Then it is happening with his concurrence8230;
I don8217;t want to pass a value judgement.

Is it linked to the internal situation in Pakistan?
That is not a compelling factor.

You talked to Nawaz Sharif a few days ago. Did you do it at the behest of Prime Minister Vajpayee?
I telephoned Nawaz Sharif on May 26 on the advice of the Prime Minister. He was very responsive and friendly. He told me he will call back after talking to his officials. He did so that night. He felt that both sides should work out arrangements to defuse the crisis. I have conveyed the gist of my talks to the concernedpeople.

Do you see this as a setback for subcontinental friendship?
It is a setback because ever since the Simla Agreement, this is the first time that air action had to be taken. This is also the first time that the LoC has been crossed. Militancy has been on but this is a different situation. It strains the relationship between the two countries.

Do you apprehend that the situation will get internationalised?
This has already been done. They Pakistan have already gone to the UN. The UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, has taken notice of it. He telephoned me. All this will have serious implications.

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We have agreed to discuss everything with Pakistan, including Kashmir, but to make it successful, the LOC has to be respected. Where it has been infringed upon by either side, the status quo ante must be restored.

How do you feel the Government has handled the situation?
It is a question of the entire nation and should not be viewed in terms of parties. It is theGovernment8217;s duty to associate all parties and persons who can contribute so that it is the response of the nation and not just of the Government.

Do you feel it was necessary to go in for strafing or was there a better way of handling it?
Once you decide to leave a situation to the armed forces, it is always wise to leave it to them. It is not the civil authority8217;s job to decide which weapon and the type of intervention to use. It is for the technocrats to decide. I have great respect for all the service chiefs.

What do you think will be the political fallout?
Unfortunately, we are involved in a scenario after the fall of the Government, with elections not far away. That is why the nation8217;s will must be expressed by unifying the political response. Not only should an all-party meeting be called, there should be consultations on a day-to-day basis.

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Do you feel the Government took a long time to react?
The terrain is such and I don8217;t blame anybody that this penetration tookplace and continued unnoticed. Even in the future, you cannot visualise every inch being manned. No country can do it. This is the first time they have come into the area.

Do you feel a caretaker government is empowered to take all the decisions that this government may be required to make?
A government is a government.

Do you feel the elections should be postponed?
It is too early to say. We should not do anything to create a mood of panic or take steps which manifest a weakness and an anxiety that our normal functioning is inhibited.

Do you think all this will take time, or be resolved soon?
It will take time.

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Has the Government consulted you, and at what level?
As far as I am concerned, both the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister have talked to me.

What would you do if you were in the saddle today?
One, it is extremely important to give the response unitedly. In matters of national security, political parties are secondary. Second, we mustkeep in mind that nothing is done to weaken the will of the nation or to divide it in this time of challenge.