New Delhi, May 30 :
India on Thursday said it has noted that “an objective view based on reality is emerging in Pakistan”, in response to former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif admitting that Islamabad had violated the 1999 Lahore Declaration signed between him and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, as a few months later then Pakistani Gen Pervez Musharraf launched the Kargil war.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, answering a question on Sharif’s statement made on Tuesday, said: “You are aware of our position on this issue. I need not reiterate that. We note that an objective view is emerging in Pakistan as well, on this particular matter.”
Speaking in Hindi, he said: “We are seeing that in Pakistan a perspective based on reality is emerging”.
Former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday (May 28) said that Islamabad had “violated” an “agreement” signed between him and former PM Vajpayee in 1999, in a reference to the Lahore Declaration and Pervez Musharraf’s Kargil misadventure.
“On May 28, 1998, Pakistan carried out five nuclear tests. After that Vajpayee Saheb came here and made an agreement with us. But we violated that agreement…it was our fault,” Sharif told a general council meeting of the PML-N at which he was elected president of the ruling party.
Sharif and Vajpayee signed the Declaration on February 21, 1999, after Vajpayee’s historic bus ride to Lahore. But oblivious to them, Pakistani soldiers were in the process of occupying unmanned high-altitude Indian positions in Kargil, Ladakh, which led to the Kargil conflict between the two nations from May to July 1999.
In the Lahore Declaration, India and Pakistan pledged to a peaceful resolution of bilateral disputes, including Kashmir, and fostering friendly commercial and cultural relationships. Both sides also agreed to engage in bilateral consultations regarding their nuclear doctrines, to avoid any nuclear conflict, whether intended or not.
The situation in Bishkek is normal and the Indian Embassy in Kyrgyzstan remains ready to assist students in every manner, Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Thursday.
While addressing a media briefing, Jaiswal informed that direct flights between Bishkek and Delhi can be availed by students who wish to return to India after their exams in Kyrgyzstan. Asked about the situation in Bishkek, he said, “The situation in the capital of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek is normal. Some two weeks back or so, there were some incidents involving foreign students, not Indians. Because of that, Indian students got worked up. They were really concerned. Our embassy swung into action. We established helplines to assist the students.”
The Indian embassy has also opened helplines to ensure the safety and welfare of students.
“We also took up the matter with local authorities as also the university administration, so that the welfare and well being and safety of our students are taken care of. I would like to let you know that this is exam time for our students and after the exams get over, there will be summer vacation in which many of them will come back. There are direct flights between Bishkek and Delhi twice a week and there is direct flight also via Almaty on a daily basis which can be availed of. And our embassy remains ready to assist our students in whatever manner that the request comes from,” he added.
In Bishkek, violent clashes had broken out among student groups, with reports indicating the use of batons by attackers on May 18. International students had been wounded after attackers forcibly entered hostel rooms.
Every year, a large number of Indian students join medical and other universities in Kyrgyzstan for further studies. At the moment, about 17,000 Indian students are in the country spread across many cities but most of them are in Bishkek, according to Indian Embassy in Kyrgyzstan press release.
Following the situation, the Embassy also shared an update that it has been working actively with the universities and senior government functionaries to address the concerns of the Indian students. Two helplines 0555710041 and 0555005538 have been functional 24×7 where students can continue to reach out to the Embassy for all kinds of assistance.
Students and their families were urged not to pay attention to rumours being spread by some mischievous elements. However, the Indian Embassy in Kyrgyzstan said that the situation in Bishkek has returned to normal.
India’s Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan visited the Jalal-Abad State University on May 18 and the International Higher School of Medicine in Bishkek today and interacted with the Indian students there.
Embassy officials had also visited the International Medical University and the Eurasian Medical University and the Royal Metropolitan University and the Avicenna University to continue this interaction with the students and to address their concerns.
