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No international monitoring of LoC: India

Hours ahead of United States Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's visit, India on Tuesday opposed any move for a helicopter-borne international force to monitor infiltration of militants into Jammu and Kashmir, saying joint patrolling with Pakistan would be the 'best' way.

"There is nothing to suggest that this is a proposal that has been made. Government's views on the issue of patrolling, verification and monitoring along the LoC have been very well articulated," an external affairs ministry spokesperson said.

She was responding to a question on a report published in The Times in London that Rumsfeld, who arrives in New Delhi on Tuesday night, would propose to India an airborne international monitoring mechanism of the LoC.

Recalling the suggestion of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for joint monitoring of LoC by India and Pakistan, the spokesperson said, "This would be the best way since our defence forces know the terrain very well."

"And therefore, the best and most efficacious way of monitoring activities along the LoC can be done by the two countries," she said.

Asked whether India had officially informed Islamabad about its decision to allow overflight by Pakistani aircraft, the spokesperson said Pakistan's Deputy High Commissioner in New Delhi J A Jilani was told by the external affairs ministry on Monday about it.

Terrorism Strikes in Jammu: The complete coverage

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