The Government, hopeful that that the withdrawal would be completed in about seven days, has viewed the withdrawal as a major victory for both the Indian forces and its diplomacy in successfully pinning down Pakistan.

Most of the participants in the meeting, including Sonia Gandhi, hailed the development. But some, such as the CPI(M), cautioned the Government not to go in for premature celebrations. The country, Vajpayee was told should be chary of the ``real meaning'' of the Pakistan-US talks that has triggered withdrawal from the Indian side of the LoC.

After the meeting, the National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra told media-persons, ``we have someevidence of the withdrawal taking place in Kaksar and Mushkoh sub-sectors of Kargil.'' But, he added that the Army needed to verify the development. The 130-minute meeting began with the Army Chief V.P. Malik and Air Chief Marshall A.Y. Tipnis briefing the leaders about the developments in the affected region. The two explained in detail the heavy odds stacked against the defence forces at the beginning of the conflict, due to inhospitable terrain, but how over the weeks the soldiers overcame the obstacles and emerged triumphant.

After the briefing by the defence chiefs, Vajpayee got down to discussing the recent developments as well as the overall situation around the LoC with the opposition leaders. Apart from Sonia Gandhi who participated for the first time in the all-party meeting on Kargil, others participants were Harkishan Singh Surjeet (CPI-M), Manmohan Singh (Congress), Madhu Dandwate (Janata Dal), Thambi Durai (AIADMK), Laloo Prasad Yadav (RJD), Mayawati (BSP), among others. Union Home MinisterL.K.Advani and Defence Minister George Fernandes also attended the meeting.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Surjeet claimed Vajpayee had accepted their argument that the Government should not be lulled into complacency now that the intruders were leaving on their own accord.