Pak launches isolate-India campaign

LONDON, May 24: Pakistan has launched a major diplomatic campaign despatching envoys to selected Western capitals in a bid to whip up stiffe...

LONDON, May 24: Pakistan has launched a major diplomatic campaign despatching envoys to selected Western capitals in a bid to whip up stiffer economic response from these nations to India’s nuclear tests as well as to project any retaliation as a defensive reaction.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has despatched special envoys to United States, Japan, Britain, Germany and France. His envoy here, Kursheed Kasuri, met Foreign Secretary Robin Cook and delivered a letter from Sharif to British Prime Minister, Tony Blair. Later, Kasuri held a dinner meeting with some India baiter members of Commons, during which he expressed Pakistan’s disappointment with the response by the recent G-8 summit of the world’s richest nations to India’s nuclear test. Kasuri went on to tell the British Foreign Secretary not to allow India to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and to negate its efforts for a Security Council seat.

Kasuri urged the members of Commons who have labelled themselves as British ParliamentaryGroup on Pakistan — including known India baiters on Kashmir, George Galloway, Roger Godsiff, Marsha Singh, Tom Cox and Peter Pike — to put pressure on the Blair regime for stringent Western response to India.

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After the meeting, the Pakistan Parliamentary group despatched a letter signed by claimed 30 members of Parliament to Prime Minister Tony Blair asking him to request other members of the Group of Eight for "harder response to India going nuclear".

The letter, signed by Tom Cox and Peter Pike, also asked Blair to personally make their strong views known to the Indian Government on the issue. "We also urge you to use your contacts with other world leaders to seek to ensure they and their countries condemn India and praise the understanding and courage shown by Pakistan," it said. A copy of the letter was released to newsmen also.

However, Kasuri faced a volte face when except for lone maverick member George Galloway, all the other MP’s urged the Pakistan Government to "show restraint and courageand not attempt to hold any nuclear tests."

Tom Cox, the Labour MP from south west London, told another Pakistani meeting on Friday that pressure should be put on the Blair administration to "divert British aid earmarked for India to Pakistan."

Karamat’s border visit

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan army chief general Jehangir Karamat visited the forward defence areas on the LoC with India and called upon the forces there to be "vigilant" for any eventuality in view of New Delhi’s posture following the N-tests adopting a "pro-active" policy on Kashmir. Karamat’s visit is being considered very crucial keeping it view that he had held several meetings with Sharif.

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