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Pak. rejects Indian `proposal' to fight terrorism

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD Sept. 15. Pakistan today described as "ridiculous and ludicrous" the reported proposal of the External Affairs Minister, Yashwant Sinha, for India-Pakistan co-operation in fighting terrorism.

The Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman, Masood Khan, said that Islamabad could not be a party to "Indian terrorism" and asked New Delhi to "withdraw and roll back aggression" from Kashmir. "India has unleashed repression in IHK, Pakistan cannot be party to it. India has to roll back (its) apparatus of terrorism in the held Kashmir."

He was responding to a reported "proposal" by Mr. Sinha asking Pakistan to join India in the fight against terrorism. "India is hegemonic and ambitious. But disillusions of India has increased to an extent where they were equating themselves with the United States."

On the remarks by Mr. Sinha on "cross-border-infiltration," the spokesman claimed that the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, had acknowledged the movement in Kashmir as indigenous.

Mr. Khan said that the Joint India-U.S. exercises in Ladakh would have no effect on the status of Kashmir as a disputed territory. "Kashmir remains a disputed territory as recognised by the United Nations Security Council and the U.S., is very much a part the UNSC consensus.'' He reiterated Pakistan's position that the Kashmir issue had to be resolved in line with the wishes of the Kashmiri people. He denied remarks attributed to the Foreign Minister, Khurshid Kasuri, about a joint SAARC force to combat terrorism.

The spokesman claimed that in response to a question, the Minister while addressing a meeting in Bangladesh had repeated Pakistan's position on strengthening U.N. observers on the Line of Control.

When asked if the SAARC could play a role in this regard, the Minister said it was possible "if SAARC could provide neutral observers." The Foreign Minister did not go beyond that, he claimed.

Mr. Khan said the Foreign Minister intended to go to New Delhi as part of an exercise to deliver invitations to the SAARC members for the next Summit meeting to be held in Islamabad early next year.

Mr. Kasuri was in Bangladesh and would also go to Sri Lanka and Nepal in the first phase of the exercise.

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