Radio messages from across: jehadis, lie low

In what could possibly be the first signs of a nervous Pakistan moving to dissipate the immediate threat of war, Indian monitors have interc...

In what could possibly be the first signs of a nervous Pakistan moving to dissipate the immediate threat of war, Indian monitors have intercepted radio messages from suspected ISI operatives asking tanzeems inside PoK and Kashmir to lie low for the time being.

But New Delhi says even if this were to result in a drop in infiltration level, the Army would remain massed at the border, at least until the elections in Jammu and Kashmir get over.

Highly placed official sources in

New Delhi today said the radio intercepts were monitored after Musharraf’s latest address to the nation in which he repeatedly promised not to allow the export of terror from Pakistani soil.

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But sources said that the intercepts apart, there was no evidence on the ground yet to suggest that enormous external pressure and warnings seemed to be finally nudging Pakistan into acting against outfits violating the Line of Control (LoC).

‘‘We only know some messages have been flashed. These could possibly be the first signs of the pressure working but let us wait and watch if all this is translated into action,’’ the sources said, conceding it was ‘‘still too early’’ to expect results because any such directive will take some time to trickle down the chain of command.

Army sources have also confirmed that troops along the LoC have been told to look for ground indicators which could suggest a Pakistani move to stem infiltration which, until recently, was still on.

The Army, which has gathered intelligence on sizeable tanzeem presence in the launching pads inside PoK, believes the Pakistan Army, if it shows the will, can ‘‘change the pattern of infiltration’’ by snapping communication and support links with the tanzeems.

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In official circles, it is repeatedly being made clear that any drop in infiltration does not mean automatic withdrawal of the Army from the border. ‘‘What we are looking at is forcing a change in the Pakistan policy of exporting terror to Kashmir. This could be a long haul. So the Army will be there for quite some time. And they will certainly be there at least until the Kashmir elections get over,’’ sources said.