Antony issues stronger statement after Opposition pressure

The govt let some BJP leaders review the statement before Antony read it out

Bowing before the Opposition, defence minister A K Antony and the Congress party issued a "strong" statement on Thursday, warning Pakistan not to test India's patience and asserting it was Pakistani Army regulars who killed five Indian soldiers on the Line of Control (LoC) on Tuesday.

The government let some Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders review the statement before Antony read it out.

Notably, Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid refused to say categorically whether talks with Pakistan were on or off. "(We are) not in a position today to say anything because this is not the time or appropriate atmosphere in which we should be discussing talks. There will be a lot of work necessary if we are to talk," Khurshid said. "Let's wait for the appropriate time. All the inputs have to be brought in; then we can take a call."

Khurshid's intervention came even as a campaign was launched through television channels demanding all talks be suspended with Pakistan. The BJP has been saying that for every act of violence against India, Pakistan must be made to pay a higher price.

"We want the House to know that we do not play politics. We have maintained that the statement made by the defence minister was wrong and we had demanded a correction. We want Pakistan to know that India will not tolerate repeated incidents like this. It cannot take our restraint for granted," said Sushma Swaraj following Antony's statement which corrected previous "discrepancies" such as the attack on Indian soldiers took place on the Indian side of the LoC and that it was not Pakistan regulars but "persons dressed as Pakistan Army" who mounted the attack.

However, according to retired generals who have served on the LoC say the Border Action Team (BAT) which attacked Indian soldiers comprises local units as well as terrorists. So it is not incorrect to say "persons dressed in Pakistani Army uniforms" were part of the attack on Indian soldiers.

Some television channels suggested the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) had diluted Antony's statement to prevent the Manmohan Singh-Nawaz Sharif meeting in New York in September from being washed out. However, the PMO said: "Such allegations are mischievous and have no basis."

Antony's latest statement, which should be considered an authoritative statement based on full information after the Chief of Army Staff had visited the site of the attack and briefed the minister, said: "It is now clear that the specialist troops of the Pakistan Army were involved in this attack when a group from the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) side crossed the LC (LoC) and killed our brave jawans. We all know that nothing happens from the Pakistan side of the Line of Control without (the) support, assistance, facilitation and often, direct involvement of the Pakistan Army."

Antony further noted: "Naturally, this incident will have consequences on our behaviour on the Line of Control and for our relations with Pakistan. Our restraint should not be taken for granted; nor should the capacity of our Armed Forces and (the) resolve of the Government to uphold the sanctity of the LC ever be doubted."

The debate now is what the "consequences" of events on the LoC will be. World leaders have said that the dialogue between India and Pakistan - both nuclear powers - should not be halted. "Talks can resolve any issues in a democratic system," said British Prime Minister David Cameron.

India's position has always been that no third country can be involved in resolving outstanding issues between India and Pakistan.

The immediate consequence of the tension was the cancellation of some music programmes featuring Pakistani singers and the joint Independence Day celebrations on the Rajasthan border were called off. The Secretary-level dialogue on water and trade is unlikely, too.