The Hindu : International : No more CBMs with India, says Musharraf

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 17, 2005

International

International

No more CBMs with India, says Musharraf

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, JAN. 16. The Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, is reported to have said that Islamabad would not contemplate any more confidence-building measures (CBMs) with India unless the Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus service is operational without insistence on passports or visas.

A delegation of Kashmir leaders, who called on him on Saturday, quoted him as saying that he would personally welcome leaders of the Hurriyat if the Indian Government allowed them to visit Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The delegation consisted of barrister Majid Trimbo, Kashmir Centre E.U. Director General, Ghulam Nabi Fai, Kashmiri-American Council Executive Director, and Prof. Nazi Shawl, Kashmir Centre London Executive Director. They were here in connection with the second meeting of the Steering Committee of the European Parliament's All Parties Group for Kashmir. Kuldip Nayar and Rajinder Sachar represented Indian civil society at the conference, which adopted a declaration urging India and Pakistan to make serious efforts for resolution of the Kashmir dispute. The next meeting of the committee is scheduled in New Delhi.

It was not immediately clear if Gen. Musharraf meant Kashmir-centric CBMs or all measures aimed at improvement of relations between India and Pakistan when he referred to the Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus service.

In his remarks to the Kashmiri delegation, Gen. Musharraf said that in seeking a solution to the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, CBMs and the dialogue process should proceed in tandem.

An official statement said that the Kashmiri leaders thanked the President for highlighting the Kashmir issue throughout the world, particularly in the U.S., the U.K. and the European Union. They acknowledged that Gen. Musharraf had not deviated from Pakistan's stand on Kashmir while showing flexibility. The Kashmiri leaders said that India should also demonstrate "flexibility" to resolve the issue, the statement said.

Gen. Musharraf told the delegation that the acceptance of the Line of Control as a permanent border was out of the question, Dr. Fai said.

"The President also informed the delegation that he had the support of the Bush administration and the European Union for the resolution of the Kashmir issue." Gen. Musharraf assured the delegation that Kashmiri leaders would be included in the dialogue process at some stage.

Dr. Fai said that the "options" proposed by the President to resolve the Kashmir issue were also discussed. Gen. Musharraf expressed concern at the split in the Kashmiri leadership, especially in the Hurriyat Conference. The delegation assured the President that efforts were under way to unite the two factions and to strengthen the Kashmiri "freedom movement."

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