Swiss ambassador comments on India-Pakistan tensions
The Swiss ambassador to Pakistan, Christian Dunant, says India and Pakistan do not intend to go to war, but the situation is fragile.
Dunant said another terrorist attack along the lines of the December 13 attack on the Indian parliament could trigger a new India-Pakistan war.
“The important mobilisation of armed troops on the border between India and Pakistan means that any new terrorist acts would trigger a chain reaction”, which could lead to an armed conflict between the two countries, Dunant told the Swiss news agency ATS.
Relations at breaking point
The Swiss ambassador says Indian and Pakistani authorities are wholeheartedly trying to resolve the current crisis. However, Dunant said the Indian prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and the Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf are faced with internal pressure from some who have an interest in the continued deterioration of relations.
Tension between the two nuclear neighbours mounted following the December suicide attack on the Indian parliament , for which India blames Pakistan-based Kashmiri militants. India has long accused Pakistan of allowing Islamic militant groups to recruit, raise funds and train in camps on its soil.
In recent weeks, there has been a crackdown on Islamic militant groups, and 300 militants have been arrested. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of Indian and Pakistani troops are massed on the frontier between the two countries.
Ambassador says solution to crisis “very difficult”
The current situation is relatively calm compared to the past few days, according to Dunant. However he said it will be “very difficult” to resolve the conflict between the two countries.
The ambassador is in favour of an election in the deputed Kashmir province, which is currently claimed by both countries. Dunant said this may bring a partial solution to the conflict.
Dunant said Switzerland would not mediate in the region, as that would be the role of a superpower such as the United States or Great Britain. The American secretary of state Colin Powell is expected to visit the region next week.
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