Responding to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s reported comment that the Kargil “misadventure” in 1999 by Pakistani troops was a stab in the back for the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, India has said that the statement is only “confirmation of truth.”
“Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said something which was known to all. Everybody knew about it. He has only confirmed a truth which we all aware of,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said on Thursday.
Sharif while addressing a public rally in Muzaffarabad reportedly conceded that Kargil offensive by Pakistani troops was a misadventure and a stab in the back for then Prime Minister Vajpayee at a time when the two countries were engaged in peace talks.
“Vajpayee told me he had been stabbed in the back with the Kargil misadventure because it came soon after the lahore Declaration. I told him I would have said the same thing if I were in his place,” Sharif was heard saying on a Pak TV channel.
Meanwhile, India has once again expressed clear disagreement with justification given by United States of America for selling F16 jets to Pakistan for counter terrorism.
Swarup said the US’ decision to sell eight F-16 jets “will create negative sentiment” in the India-US relationship. “We have our concerns and we do not agree with their rationale. They said F16 will be used for combating terrorism. It will be to fight against terrorists. We do not agree with that rationale,” Swarup said. He, however, added that the relationship with the US “is not a single issue relationship”.
Following the news of China deploying missiles in South China Sea, India has called all countries to avoid unilateral actions in the area that can lead tension in the region. Swarup said, “We have constantly maintained that all states should avoid unilateral action in South China Sea that can lead to tension in the region.”
India believes there is 2002 declaration on conduct of parties in South China Sea and early completion of negotiations to establish code for peace and stability in the region.
According to news reports, China has deployed surface-to-air missiles on a disputed island in the South China Sea in a move that has alarmed other Asian countries. However, Chinese state media has reported saying defences had been in place on Woody Island, part of the Paracel chain in the hotly disputed sea, for years, and denied it was militarising the island.