Militants denounce India's Kashmir ceasefire

Kashmiri protesters clash with Indian police

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- An alliance of 15 guerilla groups is rejecting India's decision to extend a unilateral ceasefire in the troubled Kashmir region as a propaganda ploy.

The United Jihad Council said it would continue to fight against what they consider India's occupation of Kashmir until a permanent solution is found, one that they say "meets the wishes of the people."

On Thursday, Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said his government would uphold the ceasefire in Kashmir for another three months.

He also called on India's arch-enemy Pakistan to help the ceasefire by ending its attempts to promote cross border terrorism.

India has accused Pakistan of sponsoring violent acts in Kashmir by funding the militant groups operating in the region.

Olive branch and a threat

In announcing the extended ceasefire, Vajpayee also offered an olive branch to Kashmiri groups who opted for peace, saying he would begin talks with those that renounced violence.

But he warned groups looking to sabotage the ceasefire that Indian security forces had been instructed to "act decisively against those organizations or elements that are against the peace process."

It was not immediately clear whether this meant offensives could resume against hardline militant outfits which India blames for recent daring attacks on security forces and installations.

The militants, for their part, believe India continues to carry out what they call acts of repression, including crackdowns, rape, arson, as well as search and siege operations during the ceasefire.

Politicians apprehensive

But Vajpayee's plan to extend the ceasefire did not win complete support from India's political opposition.

Hindu nationalist leader Bal Thackeray is condemning what he calls the government's soft approach to the separatists.

"They [the militants] didn't care for women and children; [they were] simply shot dead-simply. I mean do you expect people to tolerate this kind of nonsense? The atmosphere is such that there can be a revolution at any time in the country," Thakeray told CNN's Satinder Bindra.

Official figures show that more than 240 people have been killed since the unilateral ceasefire went into effect in November last year.

Even Vajpayee's cabinet was deeply divided on the issue, with many hardliners opposing the extension, after a spate of suicide attacks by militant groups in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

But pro-independence groups are now calling for talks with the Indian government, to take advantage of what some quarters consider the last chance for peace in Kashmir, Bindra said.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Pakistan rejects India's ceasefire
IN DEPTH: Kashmir, where conflict rules

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