India has made it clear that there is no question of moving heavy guns and artillery further away from the Line of Control, as proposed by Islamabad as one of the conventional confidence-building measures between the two neighbours.
This assertion comes in view of the ongoing ceasefire violations and infiltration by Pakistan.
Yet another area of concern for India has been the continued blocking by Pakistan of negotiations on the Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty at the Conference on Disarmanent. India is learnt to have urged Pakistan to join the FMCT negotiations as this, too, would be a CBM, said sources.
These worries were expressed by India when officials from the two countries met in Islamabad over two days earlier this week to discuss both nuclear and conventional CBMs in the sixth round of talks. The talks, said sources, were held in a “constructive and cordial atmosphere”.
Taking note of ceasefire violations by Pakistan, sources said the biggest CBM really would be “peace and tranquillity along the LoC and the international borders” and that “the other CBMs are predicated on the maintenance of peace and tranquillity along the LoC and international border”.
As sources said, the relocation of guns and forces cannot be done in the presence of a threat perception or what the situation on the ground actually is.
Sources said New Delhi would take a decision on this proposal only after assessing the ground situation. India has reiterated its concerns about Pakistan not having enunciated till date what its official nuclear doctrine is all about as well as the command and control structure that it has in place for its nuclear assets, according to sources.
These concerns were convereyed to Pakistan when officials from the two countries met in Islamabad over two days earlier this week to discuss both nuclear and conventional CBMs in the sixth round of talks.