The Hindu : Front Page : Pakistan gave no proposal for self-governance: India

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Nov 22, 2005

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Pakistan gave no proposal for self-governance: India

Diplomatic Correspondent

NEW DELHI: India said on Monday night that it had received no proposal regarding so-called "self-governance" in Jammu and Kashmir during the November 12 Dhaka meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Shaukat Aziz.

During the meeting between the two leaders, Mr. Aziz said that in seeking a resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir issue the two countries could, among other things, explore ideas such as self-governance and demilitarisation.

"No proposal regarding so-called `self-governance' was provided to which a response was expected," said an External Affairs Ministry spokesperson to a statement from the Pakistan Foreign Office.

Dr. Singh had pointed out that Jammu and Kashmir already enjoyed autonomy under the Indian Constitution and had in place a popular government elected through free and fair elections. "However, there was clearly a lack of autonomy in PoK [Pakistan-occupied Kashmir] and there had been no popular elections in Gilgit and Baltistan to determine the wishes and aspirations of the people."

The Prime Minister reiterated to Mr. Aziz that there would be no question of redeployment of security forces by India while cross-border terrorism and infiltration continued and there was no cessation of acts of terrorist violence.

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