Pakistanis Start Pullback From Indian Border

Army troops began pulling back from Pakistan’s border with India on Monday, almost a week after the military took over Pakistan’s government and four months after a bitter border dispute threatened to erupt into full-fledged war.

Gen. Pervez Musharraf, who overthrew the democratically elected government of Nawaz Sharif, said the redeployment was a peaceful gesture toward India. But India responded coolly, saying the move had no military significance.

In London, meanwhile, Commonwealth foreign ministers suspended Pakistan from councils of the association of Britain and its former colonies. The decision Monday by the eight ministers was the first formal step toward suspending Pakistan from Commonwealth membership; under the group’s rules, only the heads of state can do that.

The foreign ministers called on the military regime in Islamabad to set “without delay” a time frame for restoring democracy.

Pakistani army spokesman Col. Saulat Raza said the withdrawal was only along the 460-mile-long international border and did not apply to the cease-fire line in Kashmir, a territory split between the rival nuclear nations. India and Pakistan have fought two wars over Kashmir.

In New Delhi, India’s army commander, Gen. V. P. Malik, said that the Pakistani pullback had little military significance and that his forces would not immediately respond.