INDO-PAK CONFLICT ENTERS NEW PHASE
War clouds were rising over the horizon as
Pakistan refused to yield Indian territory in the Kashmir
region it had illegally and surreptitiously captured over
the past few years. The caretaker BJP-led government convened
a meeting of all political parties to clarify its position
on Kargil and get their support for any decisions it might
choose to take.
The Indian view got further support from the
US, which unequivocally said that Pakistan should move its
troops from the Indian side and that the Line of Control
(LoC) was not negotiable.
Both the Indian army and airforce continued
to pound Pakistan-captured positions in Kashmir through
the week. Pakistan meanwhile managed to get fresh supplies
of jet fighters from France and was arranging for defence
deals with China at the time of writing. It also made a
try at breaking the Indian grip on the Sianchen glacier
(a small stretch of icy rock on separating China and Pakistan
in north India) by mounting an assault on it yesterday.
However, Indian troops fought back and had the attackers
notching up heavy losses.
The US sent emissaries to try to defuse the
situation but the terrorist organisations occupying Indian
territory announced that even Bill Clinton would not be
able to make them budge from the positions they had taken.
