ISLAMABAD: The Indian high commission here Wednesday described as baseless and negatively motivated reports in a section of the Pakistani media relating to India’s decision to pull back its armoured formations from the Mahajan ranges in Suratgarh (Rajasthan).
The reports had said that the announced withdrawal was “spurious,” was not being completed and that “contradictory information ‘was being put out by Indian authorities.”
The Indian high commission pointed out that over the last four months, the Pakistan authorities had stated that they were concerned about what they called unwarranted buildup of Indian amour in the Mahajan ranges. There were repeated suggestions that these units should move back.
It was in this context that on the date a package of proposals was communicated to the Pakistan government, the Indian government also took a unilateral decision to commence withdrawal of its armoured units from this area, a high commission release said.
The release said the concerned authorities of the Pakistan government were kept fully informed about the withdrawal through military and diplomatic channels.
The high commission also denied media reports which said during Tuesday’s meeting, Pakistan foreign secretary, Tanvir Ahmed Khan had told Indian high commissioner, JN Dixit in “unequivocal terms that Pakistan was not quite sure whether the so called withdrawal from Suratgarh was a deception or part of diversionary tactics.”
According to the release, Khan had not in any polemical terms talked about the withdrawal of these units during his meeting with Dixit. Views were exchanged on the factual position in a “constructive manner,” it said.
The high commission said these reports were motivated and inspired by those who wished to prevent painstaking endeavors’ being undertaken by both the governments to defuse the present tension affecting IndoPak relations.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 15, 1990
