International
Vajpayee's remarks unfortunate: Pak.
By B. Muralidhar Reddy
ISLAMABAD, DEC. 11. Pakistan has described as ``unfortunate'' the remarks of the Indian Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, in Japan that the atmosphere was ``not congenial'' for resumption of dialogue between Pakistan and India. Meanwhile, in an interview, the Pakistan President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, said that his country was willing to enter into a sustained, meaningful and result-oriented dialogue with India to find a just solution to the Kashmir dispute.
Gen. Musharraf told the Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta that the main cause of Indo- Pak. tension and hostility was the unresolved dispute of Jammu and Kashmir and the ``relentless Indian repression of innocent Kashmiris''.
``Pakistan stands for a peaceful negotiated resolution of the dispute in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people.'' Both countries were bound by their commitment to the international community and also the Kashmiri people to resolve the dispute as envisaged in the Security Council resolutions.
To a question on the reported remarks of Mr. Vajpayee at the end of his five-day trip to Japan, the Press Secretary to the Pakistan President, Maj. Gen. Rashid Quereshi, said Pakistan was open to the resolution of all outstanding issues with India. Reiterating that Kashmir was the main issue bedevilling relations, he said Islamabad was up front on the subject at the Agra Summit in July last. Pakistan desired peaceful resolution of the dispute.
``It is unfortunate if the Indian Government and leadership believed that the atmosphere is not congenial for resumption of dialogue. We may differ on the interpretation of congenial atmosphere but Pakistan sincerely believes that we need to take the first step and talk.''
Maj. Gen. Quereshi also disagreed with the reported remarks of Mr. Vajpayee that Pakistan was creating hurdles in the coming elections to the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. He maintained that India had created the problem in Kashmir and whatever was happening there was the result of the people's reaction to the ``oppression and suppression of their rights''.
To a question on India's decision to revitalise the Pant Committee and engage Kashmiri leaders in the dialogue process, the Foreign Office spokesman, Mr. Aziz Khan, claimed that the All-Party Hurriyat Conference had rejected any proposal for talks without Pakistan's involvement.
`No division in Pak. society'
In the interview published on Sunday, Gen. Musharraf asserted that there was no division in Pakistani society over the decision of his Government to join the international coalition and also against the military strikes in Afghanistan.
``The vast majority of Pakistanis have strongly backed the Government's stance to support the international coalition in its fight against terrorism.'' The decision to join the coalition was based on a ``principled position to oppose terrorism in all its forms and manifestations''. While maintaining that the vast majority of the people was behind the Government, he said, ``There are many political parties in Pakistan which are functioning freely. They may differ with some aspects of the Government policy and in the wisdom of the decision to back the international coalition.''
Asked to evaluate the two-month anti-terrorist campaign, he said, ``I think it is too early to pass a judgment and probably one could assert at this point in time that some of the objectives have been met while others are still to be met.'' On Afghanistan's future, he said any new Government there should be broad-based, multi-ethnic, freely-chosen and friendly towards its neighbours, including Pakistan.
The former King, Mr. Zahir Shah, was a respected figure and could keep Afghanistan united. ``He can act as a symbol around which the people can rally for peace in Afghanistan.''
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