Indian premier refuses to give up nuclear weapons
India will not reciprocate on Pakistan’s offer to dismantle its nuclear weapons, but hoped never to have to use them against its long-time rival, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee told parliament in New Delhi today.
“We are seeking friendship with Pakistan, but we will be cautious,” Vajpayee said during a debate on the new peace overtures between the South Asian rivals.
“I have told the Pakistani leaders that India and Pakistan have to live together,” he said. “We can change friends, but we can’t change neighbours.”
He said Pakistan’s only target for nuclear weapons is India, but that India had other countries of concern.
“We don’t accept Pakistan’s proposal ... as Pakistan’s nuclear programme is India-specific,” Vajpayee said. “But we are concerned about other states as well.”
Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Aziz Ahmed Khan said on Monday that Pakistan would get rid of its nuclear arsenal if India did so as well. Islamabad also suggested the bitter rivals make South Asia nuclear-free.
“We don’t want to use all our resources on buying arms and weapons,” Vajpayee said. “But we have to defend ourselves in case of a threat.”
India has fought three wars with Pakistan since their independence from Britain in 1947. India also fought a border war with China in 1962, although relations are warming rapidly between New Delhi and Beijing.
Pakistan and India declared themselves nuclear powers after detonating atomic bombs in 1998. Neither country has opened its arsenal to international inspectors and it is not known exactly how many weapons they have.
The international community has been pressing both nations to improve relations to prevent what many fear could escalate into a nuclear confrontation.
Those fears peaked last summer when India and Pakistan sent hundreds of thousands of troops to their frontier after New Delhi accused Islamabad of backing a suicide attack on India’s Parliament compound. Pakistan denied involvement.
Vajpayee told parliament that he launched the peace initiative with Pakistan two weeks ago – during a speech in the disputed Himalayan province of Kashmir, which both countries claim – as he observed global events.
He said when the United States overruled the United Nations and attacked Iraq, he determined that India must embark on a new initiative on Kashmir.
“I felt that small developing, non-aligned countries have to think about their future,” said the 78-year-old prime minister, who would like to mark his place in history by sealing a lasting peace with Pakistan.
Vajpayee made the first offer to resume dialogue, which was immediately accepted by Pakistan. In the last week, both have pledged to restore diplomatic and travel links.
Since the parliament attack in December 2001, Vajpayee has insisted New Delhi would not resume dialogue with Islamabad until it ended the infiltration of Islamic militants across the ceasefire line that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan.
Guerrillas have been fighting since 1989 for Kashmir’s independence or the merger of India’s only Muslim-majority state with Islamic Pakistan. More than 63,000 people have been killed in the separatist movement.
US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, after holding talks with Pakistani leaders today, said Pakistan had assured him that the infiltration had declined.
India has long accused Pakistan of training the militants. Islamabad denies giving aid to the militants, but also says the mountainous frontier is impossible to seal.
Vajpayee conceded this much during his address to parliament, after opposition members criticised him for his sudden turnabout on Pakistan.
“If I say that crossborder terrorism has come down, then you will say wait until it has completely ended,” he said. ”Terrorist groups are divided, they are not under one control.”
Vajpayee said he could feel the tide turning in Kashmir last month, where he made the first public speech by an Indian prime minister in 16 years.
“I could feel that people wanted peace,” he said.
