(IPS) feature Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has scored diplomatic points and thrown the ball into India's court by announcing a clampdown on cross-border terrorism last Saturday, but all eyes are now on how his government carries out this pledge.

The implementation of Musharraf's measures — a stop to the use of Pakistani territory for terror acts in the Kashmir cause Islamabad supports morally, regulation of madrasah or Islamic schools and mosques, and a ban on extremist groups — will not be easy.

Already, religious critics have vowed to go to the Supreme Court to challenge his measures after more than 200 people from extremist groups were detained in the last few days.

Yesterday India said that it would respond o Musharraf's appeal for dialogue when it starts to see concrete implementation of his stated major policies. ''We want to know the difference between words and action,'' Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh said at a press conference in New Delhi.

''We welcome the now-declared commitment of Pakistan not to support or permit any more the use of its territory for terrorism anywhere in the world, including in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir,'' he said. ''This commitment must extend to the use of all territories under Pakistan's control today.''

Mixed reactions

As the reactions remain mixed at home and the public mood remains cautious, some say that the next step in the crisis between Pakistan and India bear watching.

In the end, some say, a follow-through in Musharraf's commitments would depend on the pressure that the United States — whose Secretary of State Colin Powell is due here in a few days' time — could put on India to resolve the Kashmir dispute in a certain time frame.

The international community should respond favourably after Musharraf's steps, and realise that it is time to rein in India as well, argued the English-language daily The News.

''This new strategy of General Musharraf has to produce some results as the world now has to understand that he means business eliminatingterrorism but also wants an end to Indian blackmail,'' it said yesterday.

''The world has now to ensure that India understands the new reality and removes the gun from General Musharraf's head and starts talking to him remove the 50-year old (Kashmir) dispute,'' it pointed out, referring to the war footing between the two countries since the Dec 13 attack on the Indian Parliament that Delhi blames on Pakistan-linked groups.

New initiatives

All eyes are on Powell, who is coming on the heels of a visit by British Prime Minister Tony Blair last week. So far, he has said that after Islamabad's new initiatives, the basis exists for the resolution of tensions between Pakistan and India through diplomatic and peaceful means.

The European Union's security chief, Javier Solana, also had encouraging, if cautious words in urging Pakistan and India to promptly renew their dialogue after Musharraf's overtures.

But now that Pakistan expects the understanding of the international community, so must the Pakistani leader ''play an active role in Kashmir dispute for the sake of lasting peace in the region'', he said.

Saturday's commitments by Musharraf not only ended the one-decade old government policy of seeking a solution to Kashmir more through military than diplomatic means, but ended the military 'success story' of engaging the regular Indian army in a 'low intensity' war with irregulars.

This war was simply not cost-effective for Pakistan, given its economic vulnerability especially in recent years.

In his speech, Musharraf also put almost every religious activity in the country to strict official control, a policy that seeks to shape the religious schools' teachings in relation to cultivating extremist views.

Conceding to Indian demands, he banned the Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Toiba groups, accused by India of being behind the attack on the Indian Parliament. Their leaders had been arrested earlier.

International pressure

Musharraf said no organisation would be allowed to perpetuate terrorism under the grab of Kashmir cause: ''The prerogative to wage jihad (holy war) only lies with the government.''

But even as the Pakistani leader gave in to some Indian demands and international pressure to help defuse tension in the sub-continent, he reiterated that Islamabad would not hand over some 20 alleged terrorists named by New Delhi.

''There is no question of handing over any Pakistani. But if we are given evidence against those people, we will take action against them in Pakistan under our own laws,'' he said.

There was another difference — while Musharraf called for international presence to monitor moves by the Indian military amid the current military build-up, Singh said there was no room for any third-party intervention in a matter that was for New Delhi and Islamabad to resolve.

The latest crackdown is being seen as a last step in terminating the 'terrorist triangle' operating in southwest Asia — the Taliban in Afghanistan, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi in Pakistan, and Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Toiba in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Religious parties say they will challenge Musharraf's decision in court, but officials say that this cannot be done. They cite a Supreme Court decision, validating the October 1999 army takeover by Musharraf, that says the president is empowered to change the Constitution, which otherwise ensures freedom of speech and to form parties.

Fighting for liberation

In a statement issued from Pakistan-administered Kashmir, the chief of United Jihad Council, which groups more than a dozen parties fighting for what they call the liberation of Kashmir, said the ban on the Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Toiba would not affect those groups on the ground.

Syed Salahuddin, who is in the list of 20 wanted men submitted by India, argued that both groups have local recruitment and organisation structures in Indian-administered Kashmir.

He said military would end militancy under some conditions. ''If India accepts Kashmir as a disputed territory, shows willingness to resolve the issue in the light of 1948 UN resolutions and the aspiration of the Kashmiris and holds tripartite talks for the purpose, we can lay down our weapons.''

Meantime, Islamabad is stepping its diplomatic campaign in the standoff with India, not least after what was seen as disappointment by Pakistan with Blair's failure to accept the distinction it makes between terrorismin Kashmir and a legitimate resistance struggle in the Muslim-majority area.

Islamabad has created a high-profile 'Kashmir Committee', consisting of politicians, intellectuals and Kashmir leaders, that would key capitals to enlist support for the Kashmir cause.

The uprising in Kashmir against Indian rule was seen to be indigenous when it began in 1989, and it was only in 1992 that Pakistan startedsupporting militancy with the aim of drawing international attention to force India to resolve problems with it.