India takes a small step back from war
India took a small step back from the brink of war today and lifted a ban on Pakistan civilian aircraft flying over its air space.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Nirupama Rao said removing the air space restrictions was ‘‘not a small step,’’ but her announcement fell well short of some expectations about the type of conciliatory gestures New Delhi might make to defuse the crisis.
India gave no indication it would send a High Commissioner back to Islamabad, as some reports had indicated, and it did not say anything about redeploying five warships from the Arabian Sea, near Pakistan, to the Bay of Bengal, on the opposite side of the subcontinent.
Rao declined to comment on India’s next move, saying the leadership in New Delhi would keep watching for evidence of Pakistan’s pledge to stop cross-border terrorism from Muslim militants who want the disputed region of Kashmir to either gain independence or be merged with Islamic Pakistan.
‘‘There is some fall in infiltration, but difficult to say if it is a definite trend,’’ she said.
‘‘The assessment will continue - it’s not that we have stopped our assessments,’’ Rao said. ‘‘To peace there is no alternative, we believe.’’
India said nothing about engaging in dialogue with Pakistan - the key demand by Pakistan’s president, Pervez Musharraf. India has said repeatedly it must first see an end to cross-border incursions.
Pakistan welcomed India’s decision to reopen its airspace, but said lot more needed to be done to ease tensions.
Earlier today, Pakistan said today it would be willing to sign a ‘‘no war pact’’ with India.
‘‘War will not be a solution to any problem - in fact, it creates its own problems,’’ said Foreign Office spokesman Aziz Ahmad Khan.
‘‘Pakistan’s position is that we want resolution of all outstanding issues with India through comprehensive, meaningful, result-oriented dialogue,’’ Khan said.
India closed its air space to flights by Pakistani aircraft after a terror attack on the New Delhi Parliament in December by Muslim militants. Indian claimed Pakistan’s spy agency backed the militants, and although Islamabad denied it, the attack put the rivals on war footing.
