INDIA/PAKISTAN: INDIA ANNOUNCES DEADLINE EXTENSION FOR "INFILTRATORS" TO WITHDRAW FROM NORTHERN KASHMIR
Record ID:
1375168
INDIA/PAKISTAN: INDIA ANNOUNCES DEADLINE EXTENSION FOR "INFILTRATORS" TO WITHDRAW FROM NORTHERN KASHMIR
- Title: INDIA/PAKISTAN: INDIA ANNOUNCES DEADLINE EXTENSION FOR "INFILTRATORS" TO WITHDRAW FROM NORTHERN KASHMIR
- Date: 16th July 1999
- Summary: NEW DELHI, INDIA (JULY 16, 1999) (ANI) WS EXTERIOR OF THE VENUE OF THE BRIEFING SLV OFFICIALS ARRIVE FOR BRIEFING WS REPORTERS SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) COLONEL BIKRAM SINGH, SAYING THEY WILL REVIEW THE SITUATION TOMORROW. MV REPORTERS SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) COLONEL BIKRAM SINGH, SAYING:"There is no ceasefire or cessation of hostilities. We have not so far withdrawn, neither we will withdraw our troops from various positions either from Kargil or elsewhere" MV REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) UNINDENTIFIED INDIAN AIRFORCE OFFICIAL SAYING THAT THE AIRFORCE WILL CONTINUE TO FLY SORTIES
- Embargoed: 6th July 2005 19:16
- Keywords:
- Location: NEW DELHI, DRASS, JAMMU AND KASHMIR, INDIA/ LAHORE, KARACHI, GILGIT, ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN
- City:
- Country: Pakistan India
- Topics: Conflict,General,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA1OLASU2MZKBAQ184Q6FEZ0DET
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Story Text: India has announced an extension of the July 16 deadline for the withdrawal of so-called "infiltrators" from northern Kashmir by another 24 hours.
Indian defence officials cited operational reasons for the 24-hour extension to the deadline.
India's national security adviser said New Delhi was prepared to give Islamabad another day or two for the withdrawal, but warned the offensive would resume if the intruders did not retreat behind the ceasefire line after that.
At a news conference in New Delhi on Friday (July 16) Colonel Bikram Singh of the Indian Army denied reports of a ceasefire.He said the Indian troops would not withdraw from positions recaptured after two-months of fighting.
But he said the withdrawal of the guerrillas was "nearing completion" in most of the sectors.
Indian troops have occupied dominating heights along the Line of Control in Batalik, Kaksar and Drass sectors.
India's army and air force battled for two months to dislodge what it claimed were Pakistani troops and Moslem militants.Pakistan says they are freedom fighters against Indian rule in disputed Kashmir.
Pakistan claims more than 1,700 Indian soldiers have been killed in the two months of cross-border clashes while 187 Pakistani troops were killed and 24 were missing.
India scaled back its ground and air offensive this week after reaching a deal with Pakistan for the withdrawal of infiltrators by July 16.
The Line of Control is a de facto border between India and Pakistan in Kashmir, over which they have fought two wars.
India holds two-thirds of Kashmir and Pakistan the rest.
Protests meanwhile were held in various Pakistani cities on Thursday (July 16) by the Islamic hardliner Jamaat-e-Islami party and other political groups demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over the withdrawal.
Hundreds of women activists of Islamic fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami party staged a procession in Lahore, capital of Punjab province.Holding anti-India and anti-Sharif banners, they demanded Sharif's resignation for what they described as a "betrayal of Pakistani and Kashmiri people".
Sharif appealed to Islamic infiltrators to withdraw from the Indian territory after he signed an agreement with Clinton on July 4. - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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