ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Saturday accused India of a “steady build up” of its forces in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country and said it could not entirely rule out a military conflict.

“We still do not regard war as imminent or inevitable. But the threat of war persists at three levels,” foreign secretary Tanvir Ahmed Khan said at a press briefing here.

He said Indian leaders had virtually been issuing daily reminders of war which have to be taken note of “seriously.” The “bellicose” statements have been accompanied by military movements, he added.

He said Pakistan was considering the dates proposed by India for the Indo Pak joint commission.

Meanwhile in a fresh bid to elicit support of the Islamic countries to their stand on the Kashmir issue Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto will lead a high powered delegation on a nine day tour of Iran,

Turkey, Syria, Jordan, North Yemen, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia on May 15.

She is expected to return on May 23 and again leave on June 3 to Qatar, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain,

The foreign secretary, Tanvir Ahmed Khan told reporters Saturday that discussions were underway for similar visits to some other Islamic’ countries by Bhutto.

Khan said India would be informed about the visit and its purpose.

He said that Bhutto would outline the basic elements of a “resolution on Kashmir” during her visit.

This is likely to be placed at the meeting of the organization of Islamic conference on June 13.

Khan agreed that the developments in Kashmir had influenced the timing of the present visit of Bhutto.

To a question on whether material assistance would be sought from the Islamic countries during her visit, Khan said, “every aspect of the situation will be discussed.”

Over 10 delegations comprising parliamentarians and public figures are scheduled to visit about 40 Islamic countries later this month to seek their support to Pakistan’s stand on the Kashmir issue.

The Pakistan government has constituted a joint national council on Jammu and Kashmir to support and pursue the cause of the people of J and K at international and national forums through “all possible peaceful means.”

Article extracted from this publication >> May 18, 1990