Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said yesterday he was confident that diplomatic pressure would resolve the crisis with Pakistan, even as he received cross-party support in the event of war.
In a meeting with the leaders of all political parties, Vajpayee said the international community was aware of India's anger in the wake of the Dec. 13 attack on its parliament, which New Delhi has blamed on Pakistan-based militant outfits operating at the behest of Pakistani military intelligence.
"I firmly believe this will put sufficient pressure on Pakistan and it will be forced to act against the terrorist groups," Vajpayee was quoted as saying by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan.
During the meeting, Mahajan said all party leaders had agreed that while every effort should be made to avert a war, they would offer full backing to the government should a conflict "be forced" on India.
Military tensions between the South Asian nuclear rivals have soared since Dec. 13, with both sides massing troops along their border and trading tit-for-tat diplomatic sanctions.
At least two civilians were injured in Pakistani shelling across the tense Line of Control which divides disputed Kashmir, Indian army Brigadier P.C. Das said. "Pakistani troops have been shelling the border districts of Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu," he said.
Kashmir Housing Minister Ghulam Shah said 60,000 Kashmiris had fled their villages near the border over the past five days because of the shelling and military buildup.
In separate phone calls Saturday from his Texas ranch to Vajpayee and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, US President George W. Bush urged both leaders to work to reduce tensions in the region.
But he specifically called on Musharraf to "take additional strong and decisive measures to eliminate the extremists who seek to harm India, undermine Pakistan and provoke a war between India and Pakistan," said Bush spokesman Scott McClellan.
RSS