NEW DELHI, Dec. 27 (UPI) -- India and Pakistan slapped near identical restrictions against one another Thursday, moves that further reduce their diplomatic ties, restrict the movement of diplomats and cut off land and air links between the rival nations.
Despite growing tensions between the two neighbors, a senior military official assured the international community Thursday that a nuclear war in the subcontinent was "unthinkable."
"We will retaliate with all conceivable ways but a nuclear war is unthinkable," said Maj. Gen. Rashid Qureshi while commenting on reports of massive troop-deployment along the India, Pakistan border. Independent media reports suggested that both sides also have deployed along the border medium-range ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons. Mounting tension since the Dec. 13 suicide attack on the Indian parliament, which New Delhi blamed on Kashmiri separatist militant groups, has raised concerns of a nuclear holocaust in one of the world's most populous regions.
India already has recalled its ambassador from Islamabad and is severing road and train links with Pakistan beginning Jan. 1. Also on Thursday, India's Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh said New Delhi has decided to reduce the staff at Indian and Pakistani embassies by half. India has asked half of its "diplomatic and non-diplomatic staff in Islamabad to return home in 48 hours.
The Pakistani embassy in New Delhi also has 48 hours to withdraw 50 percent of its staff," said Singh.
Claiming that Pakistan has not done enough to "curb the activity of terrorist groups in Kashmir," Singh said India also has decided to "restrict the movement of Pakistani diplomats in India."
Earlier this week, India expelled a Pakistani diplomat from New Delhi for allegedly trying to purchase sensitive documents from an official at the Indian parliament.
"The state-run Pakistan International Airlines will not be able to fly over India from Jan. 1," said Singh. The restrictions aim at punishing Pakistan for the Dec. 13 attack in which 14 people, including five militants, were killed.
Pakistan denies any involvement in the attack and has urged India to end its "aggressive military build-up along the border." The decisions were made during an emergency meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security chaired by Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. "We are greatly disappointed and saddened at these steps because these will fuel the atmosphere of tension," said an official Pakistani statement distributed by its mission in Washington.
"We have to take reciprocal actions. We will reduce Indian diplomatic in Islamabad staff by 50 percent. Their staff will also be limited to Islamabad. We will also not permit Indian airlines to fly over Pakistani airspace," the statement said.
Advising India to "show restraint" and not to "further escalate an already tense situation," Gen. Qureshi ruled out the possibility of a nuclear war in the Subcontinent.
"I am surprised at how some people straightaway jump to a nuclear situation," said Qureshi, the chief spokesman for Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf.
"I'm sure India and Pakistan are responsible nations, it's something I don't think anyone can realistically even think of. These (nuclear weapons) are deterrents which are not meant to be more than that," said Qureshi. "It's something that I think one shouldn't even consider using." Both the countries tested their nuclear devices in May 1998 and since then they have been working on developing credible weapon delivery systems.
India said Thursday its troops on the border with Pakistan would be fully deployed and battle-ready within three days as Indian jets flew close to the Pakistani border.
Qureshi said Pakistan had taken necessary safeguards against any attack but hoped that "better sense prevails and further escalation is avoided." Responding to India's demand that Pakistan disbands Kashmiri militant groups, he reiterated the Pakistani stance that it will "take action against any group or individual involved in an act of terrorism if India shares the evidence with Islamabad."
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Pakistani ministry for foreign affairs told journalists in Islamabad that Pakistan is utilizing diplomatic channels to prevent further escalation.
However Aziz Mohammad Khan also said "in view of certain aggressive moves from across the border, Pakistan has taken appropriate steps to counter them purely in a defensive position."
The spokesman said Pakistan has approached the United Nations and the Secretary General has responded by writing to the two governments and urging them to show restraint.
He added Pakistani missions abroad were appraising host governments of the latest developments and urging them to use their influence to de-escalate the situation.
He said despite the current situation, the Pakistani president "will have no hesitation in meeting the Indian prime minister at a regional summit in Nepal next month." India has already ruled out such a meeting, urging Pakistan to act against the militants first.
"We are ready for a dialogue at any time, anywhere and at any level," Khan said.
Despite Pakistan's effort to win the favor of the international community; India has already scored a major diplomatic victory against Pakistan. On Wednesday, the United States added the two Kashmiri militants groups India says orchestrated the Dec. 13 attack on its parliament to its list of foreign terrorist organizations.
Both Lashkar-i-Toiba and Jaish-i-Mohammed have been engaged in an armed struggle for Kashmir, a Himalayan valley disputed between India and Pakistan since 1947.
Lashkar chief, Hafiz Mohammed Sayeed, stepped down on Monday following the Indian claim that his men were involved in the suicide attack on the parliament.
Jaish founder, militant Muslim cleric Maulana Masood Azhar, was arrested Tuesday by Pakistani police along with 30 other militants from his group. While declaring Lashkar and Jaish terrorist groups, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell also launched a diplomatic offensive to ward off a possible armed conflict between India and Pakistan over the dispute. Powell made two telephone calls Wednesday to Musharraf and two to Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh, urging them to show restraint. He had made similar calls to the Pakistani leader on Monday and Tuesday as well. By Wednesday afternoon, China Bangladesh and U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan also had joined the United States in urging India and Pakistan to reduce tensions.
Diplomatic observers in Washington say that Pakistan may find it difficult to accept the Indian demand for banning all Kashmiri groups and ending Islamabad's interference in Kashmir. Pakistan considers Kashmir a disputed territory and says that several U.N. resolutions, also endorsed by India, recognize it as a party to the Kashmir issue.
Explaining the U.S. action against Lashkar and Jaish, Powell told reporters Wednesday that the groups sought to "assault democracy, undermine peace and stability in South Asia and destroy relations between India and Pakistan." The U.S. decision will make it difficult for Pakistan to continue supporting the two groups as Washington considers it a criminal offense to provide financial or material assistance to any organization placed on its terrorist watch list. It also requires all the states to block their assets or face U.S. ire. U.S. officials are concerned a flare-up in violence between India and Pakistan could harm their campaign against terrorism. Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes described the parliament attack as "a declaration of war on India," adding that "India has to respond." He confirmed reports that India has deployed "strategic missiles" along its border with Pakistan. Media reports Thursday said the Indian army had moved its battery of surface Prithvi missiles from the south of the country to the northern Punjab state. The Prithvi missiles have a range of 93 miles and are capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
