The Hindu : International/India & World : Pakistan appreciates PM's statement

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 04, 2004

International

International - India & World

Pakistan appreciates PM's statement

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, APRIL 3. Downplaying the comments made by the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, that Islamabad could withdraw from peace talks if there was no progress on Kashmir, Islamabad today welcomed the statement of the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, on the need for a peaceful resolution of all outstanding issues between the two countries.

"It's a good statement. Tenor and tune of statements coming from India has been positive and constructive," the Foreign Office spokesman, Masood Khan, said at a press briefing while also referring to a similar statement by the Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani.

Mr. Vajpayee had said in New Delhi on Friday that there was no way to resolve problems other than through peaceful means. However, he added that while the two sides had moved forward, the task of the leadership was to come up with solutions. Mr. Khan argued that the whole efforts and dialogue should be substantive and "should produce results and help us resolve all outstanding issues."

Asked to comment on the Bharatiya Janata Party's `Vision 2004' in which it claimed Kashmir as India's integral part, the spokesman said that it was not grounded in fact as Kashmir was an issue that needed to be resolved. The document would not have any bearing on the upcoming talks between the two countries as was evident from the statements by Mr. Vajpayee and Mr. Advani. Pakistan was participating in talks "earnestly and sincerely."

To a question, Mr. Khan said that the Foreign Secretary-level talks held in February in Islamabad identified agenda items, which included expert-level talks on nuclear confidence-building measures (CBMs) in May. The two countries already had an MoU on nuclear issues and some missile CBMs and some CBMs were already being observed by the two sides.

He rejected the observation that the defeat in cricket was part of the CBMs. "Resumption of sporting ties is part of [the] CBMs... It has improved the atmosphere but winning or losing is not part of the CBMs," he said, and added that win or defeat should be taken in a spirit of sportsmanship.

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