Tuesday, Oct 26, 2004
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India & World
By B. Muralidhar Reddy
ISLAMABAD, OCT. 25. Pakistan has said the reported decision of India to exclude Islamabad in the passports to be issued to people of Kashmir is `discriminatory' and against the spirit of the composite dialogue process. Responding to a question on the subject at the weekly news briefing here, the Foreign Office spokesman, Masood Khan, said the issue would be taken up during the forthcoming meeting of experts of the two countries. ``This step is blatantly discriminatory, exclusionary and will not be helpful. It is not in sync with the spirit of the dialogue process and the Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) initiated by the two countries,'' Mr. Khan said. He maintained that the move was perhaps targeted at Kashmiri students seeking to pursue studies in Pakistan universities and Kashmiris intending to visit their relatives across the Line of Control (LoC).
Dialogue process
Mr. Khan said the reported decision by Indian officials ahead of the forthcoming talks between the two countries would affect the spirit of the dialogue process. He hinted at the possibility of Pakistan taking up the issue with India before the proposed talks at the Foreign Secretary level towards December-end. ``Before that we shall have several occasions. There is a meeting to run the Srinagar-Muzzafarabad bus service. We could discuss it. At the moment this is something decided by India. Hope they would review this decision,'' he said. he meeting to discuss contentious issues related to the Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus service was scheduled for December 7 and 8 in New Delhi. Both sides had differences on the nature of documents required by Kashmiris wanting to avail themselves of the service. Pakistan was opposed to the proposal that requires Kashmiris on either side to travel on passports and visas on the plea that it amounts to recognition of the LoC as international border. It wanted the people to be allowed on the basis of documents issued by local authorities. Asked if any decision on passports issued to Jammu and Kashmir students would help resolve the differences between the two countries over travel documents for the bus service, Mr. Khan said the two issues were separate but could figure at the New Delhi meeting. He also said Pakistan held consultation with India to resolve difference over the construction of the 450MW Baglihar hydroelectric project over the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir. Asked whether Pakistan plans to take the Baglihar issue to the World Bank, which brokered the 1962 Indus Water Treaty between the two countries, Mr. Khan said, ``as of now bilateral consultations are continuing. When the time comes we shall decide whether to refer the matter to the World Bank or not.'' To a question on American media reports about presence of Osama bin Laden in the mountains bordering Afghanistan, the spokesman termed them as `speculative.'
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