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Indo-Pak talks not on Monday

India today turned down Pakistan's proposal to send its Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz to New Delhi on Monday to discuss the Kargil developments, saying the date was not convenient.

Addressing the media, an external affairs ministry spokesman said the Pakistan high commission in New Delhi had already been informed in this regard.

''We will return shortly to the government of Pakistan with alternative dates,'' he added.

The proposal to send Aziz to New Delhi was announced by Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharief on Thursday while announcing his government's decision to release Flight Lieutenant K Nachiketa. It was later formally conveyed by the Pakistani side to New Delhi.

On the reported statement of Pakistan Information Minister Mushahid Hussein that India was dilly-dallying on finalising Aziz's visit, the spokesman said, ''There have been a lot of mixed signals and contradictory statements from Pakistan.''

In this connection, he referred to Aziz's statement and said ''one of their ministers says that offering a safe passage to Mujahideens is India's problem even as Pakistan insists that there has been no intrusion from its side''. He also noted that Aziz had questioned the status of the Line of Control.

He said, ''There is an element of sophistry in the statements coming from Pakistan...They try to distract attention from the fact that an intrusion has taken place in Kargil and the armed forces of India are continuing with their successful operation in pushing it back.''

He said the operations would continue until the intruders are flushed out. ''It is an objective that we will pursue unwaveringly and with the fullest determination,'' he added.

UNI

The Kargil Crisis

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