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Musharraf for positive response

B. Muralidhar Reddy

Reaffirms Pakistan's "moral support" to Kashmiris

Pervez Musharraf

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on Thursday said he hoped India would respond positively to Pakistan's proposals of demilitarisation and self-governance in Kashmir to facilitate a "lasting solution to the lingering Jammu and Kashmir dispute."

Talking to the visiting Hurriyat leaders here, Gen. Musharraf said Pakistan and India had moved forward on confidence building measures (CBMs) but called for substantive progress on "conflict resolution."

Important steps

For some weeks now, Pakistan has been stressing self-governance and demilitarisation of Kashmir on both sides as important steps towards resolving the issue.

In response, New Delhi has said while the subject has figured in the passing, there has not been substantial discussion on either of the proposals. In a recent television interview, National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan has been quoted as saying that India is not averse to the idea of engaging Pakistan on self-governance, provided Islamabad amplified its understanding. The Hurriyat delegation, comprising Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Abdul Ghani Bhat and Bilal Ghani Lone, are currently here to visit the regions ravaged by the October 8 earthquake in Pakistan. "For any solution to Kashmir to be durable, it has to be in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people," Gen. Musharraf told the All Parties Hurriyat Conference leaders at the Presidential palace.

He reaffirmed Pakistan's "moral, diplomatic and political support to Kashmiris for a fair settlement of the dispute." Later, APHC chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq told the media that the leadership in Kashmir fully supported Gen. Musharraf's proposals for demilitarisation and self-governance.

The leaders, who have visited parts of PoK and other areas affected by the quake, are scheduled to hold a news conference here on Friday. They will return via Lahore on Saturday.

"These proposals should be discussed and taken forward formally, beginning with the next round of the Pakistan-India dialogue at Foreign Secretaries' level. Let there be a genuine discussion on these ideas," the Mirwaiz said, referring to the third round of dialogue scheduled to commence in New Delhi on January 17 and 18.

"Pakistan has shown flexibility, the Kashmiris are willing to move forward, so India will have to come forward," he said.

However, he said a step-by-step approach will have to be adopted for result-oriented progress.

"These ideas are at an initial stage, still being discussed, are still developing... It will take sometime, but I am confident that this is the way forward," he maintained.

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