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Japan urges Pakistan and India to avoid using military means for solution of problems
 

ISLAMABAD, May 28 (APP):- Japanese Counsellor Toshiyuki Iwado here on Thursday urged Pakistan and India to reduce tension and solve their outstanding issues," not by military means but through talks."

He was responding to a question on the current Pak-Indian escalation along the Line of Control at a briefing here Thursday. There should be efforts, he said, to remove tension between the two countries particularly after their nuclear tests. They should follow what they agreed in Lahore Declaration in last February, he said.

To a question, that it was India which initiated the nuclear arms race in South Asia, he said, "it was not our real concern," adding, "which is the first or the second."

Iwada said war cannot be fought by one side and the two countries should make efforts to solve their outstanding issues.

World community should impress upon India to observe restraint along LoC : Spokesman

ISLAMABAD, May 28 (APP)- Pakistan on Thursday called upon international community to impress upon India to observe restraint along the Line of Control (LoC) as it was India and not Pakistan which was escalating the situation.

"We call upon our friends and international community to realize the situation and impress upon India to observe restraint so that the situation does not get out of hand," Foreign Office Spokesman Tariq Altaf told a special briefing along with Information Minister Mushahid Hussain and Vice Chief of General Staff Anis Bajwa here Today.

"Meaningful international engagement is an absolute necessity," he said. Pakistan wants to defuse the situation and remains committed to the dialogue, he said.

He said, "we hope India would realize that the volatile situation was brought to an end."  India had been continuously refusing to accept any help from abroad to settle the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir, he said.

"At the heart of the matter is the Indian intransigence to recognize the problem and its illegal occupation of Kashmir and its continuation of the repressive activities," in held Kashmir, said FO Spokesman.

Japan hopes Pakistan will adhere to CTBT by September
 
ISLAMABAD, May 28 (APP)- Japan on Thursday said it, "strongly hoped," Pakistan would complete the process of signing and ratifying the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) by September this year.

"We hope Pakistan would do so as early as possible," Japanese Counsellor Toshiyuki Iwado told a briefing at the Embassy here. To a question, what would be Japan's reaction if Pakistan did not adhere to CTBT by Sept., Iwado said, though he was not in a position to foresee what would happen in future, yet, such a
situation would disappoint his country.

When asked what is their understanding of the, "coercive atmosphere," as used by Pakistan, Japanese Counsellor said, "It is an ambiguous term, we do not want to put an interpretation on it."

Japan, he said, trusted the Prime Minister's statement made before the UN General Assembly in September last year that it would adhere to CTBT. He said adhering to CTBT meant signing, ratification
and depositing it with the UN.

"We trust the Government will do what they have promised," he said. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had made a very positive statement before the UN General Assembly, he added.

Pak Army not to target any civilian across LoC

ISLAMABAD, May 28 (APP): Pakistan Army will not target any civilian across the LoC, said Maj. Gen. Anis Bajwa at a special briefing here Thursday.

He said that when Indian army starts bombing Azad Kashmir, they do not differentiate between a man and a woman or a child, mosque or a school.

"We will target only Indian military positions because people living there are our brothers and sisters," said the Maj. Gen. Bajwa said that they (Indian Army) prevent civilian population to move out of the area to use them as a human shield.

He said there were some civilian casualties when Pak Army hit and destroyed an ammunition dump in the occupied territory. Bajwa said that Indians also moved their artillery guns in civilian areas as they know Pak Army will not target that.

Sharif sends urgent communication to Annan

ISLAMABAD, May 28 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Thursday sent an urgent communication to the United Nations Secretary General calling for reinforcement of the strength and role of UN Military Observers Group deployed in disputed Jammu and Kashmir region.

He also called for the despatch of a Special UN Envoy to the region for preservation of peace and security in South Asia. "Pakistan has apprised the United Nations about the dangerous situation created by India's reckless actions across the Line of Control in Kashmir," a Foreign Office statement said.

Mushahid sees yawning chasm in Delhi's words and deeds

ISLAMABAD, May 28 (APP)- There seems to be a yawning chasm between Indian practices on the ground in held Kashmir and pronouncements from New Delhi.

This was stated by Information Minister Mushahid Hussain Sayed in a late Thursday evening interview with the BBC Television.

Of Indian government's attitude, he said, "the practices on the ground (in held Kashmir) are very aggressive and they are threatening while the pronouncements are somewhat pious at times as it was right now."

"So, that gap has to be bridged by the Indian side," he said and added,"they can't speak on two voices at the same time: an aggressive voice in Kashmir and softer voice in Delhi."

Hussain said, it is about time that the United Nations and the international community acted swiftly to intervene and to defuse the situation as they have done in Kosovo.

He repudiated Indian allegations that Pakistan was sending,"infiltrators," into occupied Kashmir."This is an
indigenous insurgency which the Indian army has failed to curb, contain or crush in the last ten years, and they are putting the blame wrongly on Pakistan." He said Kashmir problem cannot be localized for it is an international issue,"both in content and scope."

"Issue is international both in content and scope and it is already on the international agenda, the United Nations, and it is time that the UN and the international community intervene to defuse the tension."

Hurriyat calls for general strike tomorrow

NEW DELHI,May 28 (APP): All Parties Hurriyat Conference and Dukhteran e Milat have given a call for general strike tomorrow against the Indian airforce strikes in Kargil sector of occupied Jammu and Kashmir against
the freedom fighters.

According to a report from Srinagar, the Hurriyat said Kashmir issue has taken a turn for the worst."The bombardment in Drass and Kargil has escalated the situation and peace and tranquility of the entire
region is in danger".

It said in a statement after a hurriedly called executive meeting of the conference to review the situation arising out of the air strikes in Drass and Kargil. Earlier, Dukhteran e Millat,a women organisation,gave a call for strike tomorrow against the air strikes.