India today made it clear that for firing to end along the Line of Control, it will be imperative that infiltration from across is first brought to a halt.Government sources said, for New Delhi terrorism continues to lie at the heart of the matter. Any call for ceasefire, they added, cannot be seen in isolation as it is intrinsically linked to the larger context of terrorism being perpetrated in J&K at the behest of Islamabad. The gruesome massacre of Nadimarg being the most recent reminder of Pakistan’s continued sponsorship of ‘‘senseless’’ violence in J-K.The statement which has been largely welcomed in South Block states in no uncertain terms that Pakistan was yet to fulfil its commitment to both the countries on curbing cross-border terrorism. It must be remembered that Islamabad had promised to rein in on the infrastructure of terrorism breeding in its country in June last year. The Nadimarg killings, South Block officials said, showed that Pakistan had far from acted on its pledge.It is understood that this statement in many ways stems the tide of annoyance which had set in here after US Department of State Spokesperson Richard Boucher called for dialogue between India and Pakistan following the Nadimarg massacre, but failed to acknowledge Islamabad’s role in fomenting terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.While the joint statement does recognise the need for both countries to peacefully engage with each other, New Delhi is of the view that this is consistent with the policy US and Britain have been pursuing on issue. ‘‘It is also important to note that neither of the two countries are seeking a mediatory role,’’ an MEA official added.
