Vajpayee, at the same time, agreed for Pakistani foreign minister Sartaj Aziz's visit to New Delhi as was suggested by Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in what is being described as Islamabad's tacit acceptance of guilt under heavy international pressure. The date of his visit is being worked out, it was announced by the ministry of external affairs. Addressing traders and businessmen at his Race Course Road residence, the Prime Minister categorically asked Pakistan to call back the infiltrators and clear the region.

"This is a kind of aggression. It is an attempt to alter the frontiers and a move to grab part of our land", Vajpayee said, hinting at sterner measures to evict the intruders.

Intune with the PM's aggressive stance, both the air force and army continued their joint operation using lethal weapons against the infiltrators. Air vice-marshal SK Malik and general JJ Singh, who briefed the press on Monday said the Indian forces pushed the infiltrators further back, taking control of a number of high altitude ridges. Taking cue from the armed forces' success in the operation, defence minister George Fernandes exuded confidence and said "it is only a matter of time before we evict all intruders from our area". He stated this to reporters soon after briefing the national executive members of the BJP on his tour to Kargil-Dras-Batalik sectors of J&K yesterday.