Posted on 05/18/2002 2:47:07 PM PDT by Lessismore
The Vajpayee Government may have fired its first salvo in asking for Pakistan envoy Ashraf Jehangir Qazi's recall, but more substantive diplomatic measures are expected in the next few days. Among these steps would be further down-sizing the Indian mission staff in Islamabad and revocation of the Most-Favoured-Nation trade status to Pakistan.
External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh will meet senior MEA officials on Sunday to review the ground situation and then decide on the course of action and timing of the diplomatic response.
Besides, New Delhi is also gearing up to demand that action be taken against Pakistan under UN Security Council resolution 1373 for aiding and abetting terrorism not only in India, but also in South Asia.
In this context, sources said a dossier based on recent intelligence reports of terrorist infiltration from across the border and details of training camps in PoK, has been prepared for highlighting New Delhi's case. Certain key provisions of Resolution 1373, which is binding on all UN member states, were successfully executed against the Taliban.
The Indian assessment has been backed by credible reports that Pakistan-based banned terrorist outfits, now operating under new names, were preparing themselves for more strikes to foil the government's intention to hold free and fair elections in J&K.
Sources say that New Delhi's pointsman at the UN headquarters in New York, Vijay Nambiar, former Indian High Commissioner to Islamabad, will be asked to raise the facts concerning Pakistan's continuing support to terrorism with UN member countries. Indian missions abroad have likewise been directed to drive home this point with their interlocutors.
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