NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD, 21 May — India and Pakistan jockeyed for international diplomatic support yesterday as their troops traded heavy border fire, fueling fears of war between the nuclear-capable neighbors.
Pakistan urged other countries to “convince India to see reason” and hold discussions to avert a full-scale conflict. “We hope the international community will increase its efforts ... to convince India to see reason and come to the negotiating table,” said Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Aziz Ahmed Khan.
The appeal came as India said it was mounting “an intense campaign to sensitize world opinion” about what it said were Pakistan-based extremists targeting India.
India has rejected talks until it says it sees proof Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has honored a pledge in January to curb what India calls “cross-border terrorism”.
Financial markets in both countries were hammered by war jitters, but despite signs India was readying for hostilities, most analysts said New Delhi was likely to exhaust all diplomatic channels before taking any military action.
Analysts said Washington, which relies on Pakistan as a crucial ally in its “war on terror” and has US troops in the country, would pile pressure on both sides to act with restraint. Pakistan also said it was willing to allow foreign observers on both sides of a military cease-fire line that divides the disputed Kashmir region to monitor guerrilla infiltration.
“There is no militant movement,” Aziz told reporters. But the offer was swiftly rejected by India. “The figures on (cross-border) infiltration have gone up,” said Indian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Nirupama Rao. “There’s no point in seeking to deflect attention by talking of involving third parties.”
Pakistani state television said Musharraf would consult politicians tomorrow on how to respond to the escalating tensions. Musharraf also summoned a meeting of his Cabinet and the National Security Council (NSC), a top decision-making body, to review the escalation of border tension.
Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee met opposition leaders yesterday to discuss the next move of his government led by his Hindu extremist-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He has faced pressure from hawkish BJP members for a strike on some of the dozens of militant training camps that Indian officials say have sprung up recently in Pakistani Kashmir.
Vajpayee, meanwhile, was due to visit Kashmir today to inspect the scene of last Tuesday’s raid and talk to survivors while Defense Minister George Fernandes was due to visit front-line soldiers in the northwestern state of Rajasthan.
Germany’s Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer appealed to India not to take hasty steps “that would play into the hands of the terrorists”, the Indian news agency PTI quoted him as saying. He also urged Pakistan to do “everything within its powers to stop the murderous attacks which take place on the Indian side”.
Indian and Pakistani forces traded heavy machine gun and mortar fire across their Kashmir frontier for a fourth day yesterday. A Pakistani official said 10 villagers had died since the firing erupted on Friday while India said four had been killed.
