Media sceptical of Kashmir peace

Anti-Indian feeling remains high in the disputed region

The recent killings in Kashmir have left the Indian and Pakistani media sceptical and pessimistic about the prospects for peace.

It will be a long long time before peace will be allowed to return to the Valley

Asian Age

Delhi's Asian Age said that peace was still a long way off, with hopes of a truce cancelled out by the spate of killings that began with the massacre of pilgrims on their way to a Hindu shrine at Amarnath.

"The elation over the cease-fire announced by the Hizbul Mujahideen has been short-lived," it said.

"The Amarnath incident ... has once again demonstrated that it will be a long long time before peace will be allowed to return to the Valley."

Pakistan blamed

Indian media were quick to point the finger at Islamabad, with The Pioneer saying Pakistan was deliberately trying to wreck the peace talks.

Peace will ease the refugee's plight

"The reports of terrorist killings in Jammu and Kashmir... may suggest that the killers and their masters in Islamabad have gone berserk over the possibility of peace returning to a state they have turned into a killing field," it said.

"But those familiar with their diabolical ways would recognise that their apparent madness represents a brutal effort to scuttle the peace talks."

'Stony silence'

A commentary on All India Radio said Pakistan was incensed by the Hizbul cease-fire.

"It is crystal clear that such a massive operation by the militants could not have been carried out without a nod from their sponsors from across the border," it said.

"It is a fact that only a couple of days ago, these militant outfits severely criticised the Hizbul for its move for a dialogue and the Musharraf regime has maintained a stony silence."

'Frankenstein's monsters'

The Times of India was more charitable towards Islamabad.

It suggested that the opponents of a cease-fire might be "Frankenstein's monsters", who could no longer be controlled by Pakistan.

And while it conceded that Islamabad could have turned a blind eye to the activities of more militant groups, it had clearly given the "green signal" to Hizbul for the talks.

Indian 'brutalisation'

The Pakistan Observer criticised India for allowing the killing to continue in Kashmir despite the ceasefire.

It must be understood clearly by the Indian leadership that time is fast running out for it to resolve the Kashmir dispute

Pakistan Observer

"Despite its announcement of holding military action against Hizbul Mujahideen jawans in occupied Kashmir, Indian occupation forces are continuing with their brutalisation of the Kashmiris with no let-up," it said.

The Rawalpindi Nawa-i-Waqt said that India's failure to stop the violence would push the Hizbul back into war.

"The Indian government... has not stopped committing excesses as a sign of good will in Jammu and Kashmir," it said.

"The leadership of the Hizbul Mujahideen is earning a bad name because of this, and there is pressure on the leadership of the Hizbul Mujahideen to restart jihad."

Solution needed

India could no longer afford not to solve the dispute, the Pakistan Observer said.

"It must ... be understood clearly by the Indian leadership that time is fast running out for it to resolve the Kashmir dispute, which has been recognised internationally as South Asia's nuclear flashpoint," it said.

"India should obviously have no illusion that she too will not be able to escape the ramifications of its belligerence."

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.