From Jal Khambata

NEW DELHI: A joint meeting of three top bodies concerned with
India's security on Tuesday saw "an inclination towards
adventurism" in Pakistan's intrusion in Kargil and its recent
official pronouncements and warned that Pakistan would be
entirely responsible for the consequences.

It called for use of "all necessary means required to reverse
the Pakistani armed incursion across the Line of Control" while
expressing complete unanimity about the ongoing joint operations
in Kargil as the "right response."

Even while stressing to carry further the "Lahore process" for
better relations, the meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Atal
Bihari Vajpayee, felt India must be prepared for "all
eventualities in the fluid situation prevailing today." It laid
stress on sustained effort based on national will and political
consensus. 

The meeting convned by the government to discuss Kargil scenario
and its effect on India-Pakistan relations, was attended by the
three Service chiefs, Home Minister L K Advani, Defence Minister
George Fernandes, Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh, Finance
Minister Yashwant Sinha and Planning Deputy Chairman K C Pant.

The National Security Council, the Strategic Policy Group and
the National Security Advisory Board, in the joint meeting, held
an indepth and wide-ranging analysis of motivations and
politico-strategic objectives of Pakistan's adventure, in both
short and long term perspectives. Vajpayee announced at the end
of the meeting that this process of combined consultations will
be continued.

A Foreign Ministry spokesman said there was complee agreement
with the Prime Minister's view that Pakistan's attempts to
question the LoC and to violate the Shimla agreement were
completely unacceptable.

(At the AICC briefing, former diplomat-turned foreign minister
Natwar Singh said there should be "no deviation from the Shimla
agreement" and described Pakistan's propaganda to challenge the
LoC as an attempt to justify "desperate adventurism" of
infiltrators.) 

It was also agreed that india should remain committed to the
composite dialogue with Pakistan and "the Lahore process" should
be sustained in search of better relations.

While noting the international community's greater understanding
o India's concerns, the meeting wanted the government to go for
"more intensive diplomacy so as to neutralise Pakistan's efforts
to mislead and disinform public opinion."

The meeting felt need for more active efforts to educate public
opinion both in India and abroad on how India has been the
target of ten years of terrorist campaign in Jammu and Kashmir
and other parts of India. The campaign was sought to highlight
India's forbearance in the face of the grave provocation. 

Meanwhile, the Kargil battle continued unabated for the 14th day
on Tuesday with a series of exchanges between the Indian troops
and the enemy intruders, resulting in death of three Indian Army
personnel as against six deaths and 19 injuries on the other
side.

Twentyfive-year old Lieutenant Haneef Uddin of Rajputana Rifles
and his two juniors went down fighting in Turkur sector Monday
evening and their bodies were yet to be recovered because of
extremely difficult terrain and firing from the enemy side.

Flight Lt K Nachiketa, the Indian hero who returned last week
after a week's captivity in Pakistan, has completed his
debriefing and would be returning to his unit on Wednesday, it
was announced. "He is physically fit and mentally well committed
to the goals," it was stated.

In two other encounters in the Batalik sub-sector, the Indian
troops were able to kill six and injure 19 others, Col. Vikram
Singh disclosed at the daily Media briefing. The enemy's
casualties were based on the intercepted wireless messages.

With these six killings, the enemy's death roll shot up to 227
while Indian forces' death roll in action went up to 63, with 14
others missing and 217 wounded. Since most of the intercepted
wireless messages relate to the Pakistan Army personnel killed
on the Indian mountaints, the Indian authorities were now trying
to work out the number of the so-called "Mujahideens" who have
also been eliminated, Col. Vikram Singh said.

It wa also announced that the troops foiled an attempt of
intrusion and nabbed two hardcore militants, alongwith large
consignment of arms and ammunition. Their interrogations were on
to find out more details.

While the Indian Army personnel were busy in clearing the
occupations of the enemy, the Indian Air Force aircraft ventured
out to the new area in Mashkoh valley to target the stores of
the intruders. The air operations were successful, an IAF
spokesman said. Asked if Miraj fighters have been also pressed
into service, the spokesman declined to say which specific
aircraft were being used but said the IAF was using all
available aircraft and weapon as per requirements. END.
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