INDO-PAK WAR RAGES; G-8 CALLS FOR A HALT;
INDIA BUILDS BRIDGES WITH DHAKA
The Indian stance on pushing out Pakistani-backed
infiltrators from Kashmir received a boost with the Group
of Eight nations endorsing it. A senior German official
said that Germany had evidence that Afghan militants and
the Pakistani army had breached the line of control (LoC)
that separates India and Pakistan. G-8 nations said that
the armed intrusion is irresponsible and called for an end
to these actions, restoration of the LoC, cessation of fighting,
respect in future of the LoC and the resumption of a dialogue
between India and Pakistan.
Further, last week US President Bill Clinton told the infiltrators
to get out of Indian Kashmir.
The Indian armed forces claimed a major victory over the
weekend when they recaptured Point 5140 - the highest point
occupied by Pak intruders - along the Tuloling Ridge Line
giving them complete control over it. The defence forces
now have their eye on regaining Dras and Batalik sectors.
The government during the week expressed its disgust on
the torture meted out to Indian soldiers by the Pakistani
before they were killed. Foreign minister Jaswant Singh
who had made a short visit to Beijing came back satisfied
that China had heard out India's position on Kargil and
also that the two countries had initiated a new security
dialogue.
Meanwhile, India took steps to improve its bilateral relations
with Bangladesh by starting a bus service connecting Calcutta
with Dhaka. The first bus was met by the Prime Ministers
of India and Bangladesh.
The news of the endorsement by the G-8 was well received
by the Indian stockmarkets and they rose today to their
highest in the past year.
On the political front, the Nationalist
Congress Party formed an alliance with the Samajwadi Party
to jointly fight the elections in September.
