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Mukhtar Ahmad In Srinagar
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday opposed military de-escalation on the borders and asked the Centre to take tough action against Pakistan for "continuing proxy war" in the state.
"What will be the use of deploying forces on the border unless the desired objectives are achieved? People have suffered immensely due to shelling from across the border," he said.
On Tuesday, Abdullah had warned that World War III would erupt if the international community failed to "pressurise Pakistan to stop cross-border terrorism".
"It is better to die once than getting killed by inches," Abdullah said while speaking at a function in the state assembly complex in Jammu. "The militancy-struck people of the state yearn for peace and want militancy to be fought to finish."
"Pakistan must be taught a lesson... I have made this amply clear to prime minister (Vajpayee) and home minister (Advani)," he said.
"At times it becomes necessary to adopt the policy of eye for eye and tooth for tooth," the chief minister said."
Abdullah sought "greater role for the USA to pressurise Pakistan for stopping cross-border terrorism in the state". "Unless international pressure builds on the neighbour it won't behave. Half-hearted pressure will not work," he cautioned.
On the question of scrapping the Indus Water Treaty, Abdullah said that it should be reviewed and "if Pakistan takes the case to the International Court of Justice, it will get exposed. The treaty has affected the state badly as we are unable to harness our immense hydel potential".
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