India awaits Pakistani action to fight terrorists

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- President Pervez Musharraf's vow to crack down on terrorism failed to persuade India to ease the military standoff, and Kashmiri militants vowed more attacks against Indian rule in the Himalayan territory.

India's government on Sunday welcomed Musharraf's promise to prevent Pakistan from being used as a base for terrorism and to ban five Islamic extremist groups. Two of the groups have been accused by India of the Dec. 13 attack on the Indian parliament that killed 14 people.

More than 1,000 people were rounded up during a weekend crackdown that began just before Musharraf's speech was broadcast Saturday, Interior Ministry official Tasneem Noorani said.

Police also raided the offices of at least two Kashmiri groups not covered by the ban, according to members of the organizations. At least 80 people from those organizations -- al-Badr Mujahedeen and Harkat-ul Mujahedeen -- were arrested.

The government is targeting militant groups at the behest of America and India, said Mustaq Askari, an al-Badr spokesman, "but any crackdown or restrictions won't hurt our struggle. Our Kashmiri jihad will continue."

In New Delhi, Indian external affairs minister Jaswant Singh welcomed the ban on the two extremist groups blamed for the parliament attack -- Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Tayyaba. However, Singh said India was "looking forward to full implementation of this measure" so that members of the groups do not continue their activities under other names.

"There would be a similar need to address other organizations targeting India, as also the parent organizations that spawned them," Singh said.