ASSOCIATED PRESS OF PAKISTAN
NEWS SUMMARY
(22-03-2000)
Clinton visit may open new door for peaceful settlement of Kashmir: Sattar
ISLAMABAD, Mar 22 (APP): Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar on Tuesday hoped the parleys of the US President Bill Clinton in New Delhi and Islamabad may open a new door to a peaceful settlement of the long-standing Kashmir dispute. The Foreign Minister was speaking on the subject of peace and security in South Asia at the, "National Electronic Forum," jointly organized by Radio and PTV here. " We hope the role for the settlement of the issue can be taken up by US. We have no specific formula. We have not heard any specific formula," he said while recapitulating the history of plagued relations between India and Pakistan. Sattar said Clinton's talks with the leadership of both India and Pakistan ," may succeed in opening a new door to the peaceful settlement of the long-standing dispute which alone will get the two countries out of time warp," in which they have been trapped during the last over 52 years. President Clinton has demonstrated the, "unique qualities of persuasion," and had brought people together, Sattar said while referring to Clinton's role in brokering peace between Palestinians- Israel and between Syria and Israel. Clinton had also been successful in Bosnia and Kosovo by ," displaying a healing touch and capability," added Sattar. The US President, "may find some way," in beginning of the efforts to the settlement of Kashmir issue, said the Foreign Minister. To a question on upcoming Clinton's visit to Pakistan, he said " I have indicated the areas of co-operation, which, we hope will be explored in the talks between President Bill Clinton and Gen. Pervez Musharraf."
During the speech, the Foreign Minister had listed peace and security in the region, Pak- US relations, nuclear and terrorism as issues which would be discussed by the two sides during the talks. There will be," a short exchange of views," between President Muhammad Rafiq Tarar and Bill Clinton, he added." So we hope a number of issues will be discussed," during the talks between Clinton and Pakistani leadership, he added. Bill Clinton , he said, has not only evinced deep understanding of the Kashmir dispute but has described it the most dangerous flashpoint in the world. What contribution the US could play, "to propel the settlement of Kashmir question forward, he asked. The US has indicated that India was opposed to mediation. Whether that stance is in favour of peace, he asked. The members of the United Nations are under obligation under its charter which calls for the promotion of peaceful settlement of the disputes. The charter envisages various means like arbitration, mediation and adjudication for the purpose, he added.
He said the father of the US of Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in his book ," Danger in Kashmir," had come up with four conclusions. He had said the people of state wanted to be heard. Bilateral negotiations have failed to produce any results and that neither India nor Pakistan will accept the status quo. Finally he had underlined the need to settle the Kashmir question. Sattar ruled out any possibility of compromise on Pakistan's principled stand on Kashmir. He said the issue should be resolved in accordance with the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Both India and Pakistan had made a commitment to them under the UN Security Council's resolutions stipulating that future of the state of Kashmir will be decided by its people. But India reneged on its pledge to the people of Kashmir, he added. Secretary Information Khwaja Ijaz Sarwar and DG Radio Anwar Mehmood were also present on the occasion.
Pakistan and US , he said, had a history of friendly relations and the former had high stakes in trade with the latter. The US is one of the major trading partner of Pakistan, he added. To a question, he unequivocally said ," Pakistan will never participate in an alliance against" Peoples Republic of China. Replying to a query if the Chief Executive Gen. Pervez Musharraf would visit Afghanistan, he replied in affirmative, saying the dates have yet to be finalized. Replying to query on return to civilian rule, he said Gen. Pervez Musharraf will make a statement on March 23 in which, perhaps, he will give some road-map. Sattar said, the Government is clear in its mind that the elections will have to be held. "This is an interim Government that will pave the way for an elected Government, " he added. It is spending millions of rupees to revise the 20 years old voters list for holding local bodies elections in December. This could be a step forward to restoration of a civilian rule in the country, he added. He said Pakistan, "understands American concern on democracy," and was committed to its restoration. The founding fathers of Pakistan wanted it to be a progressive, liberal tolerant and democratic islamic state, he said. Sattar referred to the practices in vogue during the civilian rule saying the New York Times had run a full two and a half page story on the corruption, kickbacks and scams of that period. One's head hangs in shame at the way the state treasury was used for personal gains during the previous regime. A visit to Raiwind Estate near Lahore will prove his point, added the Minister.
He said the State Treasury and the banks were brought at the brink of insolvency during the tenure of the previous regime. He said 57 per cent of the state revenue at present goes to repayment of the country's debt. To a question if there was any possibility of Clinton having a meeting with Pakistani political leaders, he said, the Government would very much like him to do so but Bill Clinton had no time for the purpose. Asked about the killing of 35 Sikhs in occupied Kashmir, Sattar condemned the incident and demanded a thorough probe into it. He said it was necessary so that the incident should not be used as a propaganda to deflect the attention from the Indian repression from Kashmir. He said Indian Government had made it impossible for the Kashmiri leadership to explain their viewpoint. He said on Monday India had detained former APHC chairman Mir Waiz Umar Farooq and was using all kinds of means to suppress their opinion and carry out its oppression against the people of Kashmir. To another query on a formula by an American Study Group for the settlement of Kashmir, Sattar said, it had come forward with certain ideas. However Pakistan had emphasized to them that it believed in a peaceful settlement of the issue which should be on the basis of self- determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He dilated on Pakistan's position on issues of nuclear non-proliferation, CTBT and terrorism. Pakistan has condemned terrorism in all its manifestations and forms. It had also taken concrete action against the terrorists and extradited the terrorists. On nuclear issues, Pakistan was forced to develop a credible deterrence which is a guarantee for peace in the region. There is recognition now that an adventurism against Pakistan is fraught with great dangers. But at the same time Pakistan is ready to enter into nuclear restraint regime, said Sattar.
Earlier in his speech, Sattar recapitulated the history of Pak-Indian bilateral relations, indicating how India had been defying every effort at the bilateral level to solve the outstanding issues between the two sides. Those in Pakistan who had been engaged in "an endless discussion" with India on various issues, were fully aware that India had used these talks just to postpone any settlement. This was in fact," having talks for the sake of talks," said the Foreign Minister. Both the countries have never been able to solve any issue through bilateral dialogue, said the Foreign Minister. Substantiating, he referred to the Indus Basin Treaty and the settlement of the Run of Kutch which was made possible only through a third party mediation. The Indus Basin Treaty was concluded through the good offices of the World Bank. The Run of Kutch dispute, which had frustrated every bilateral initiative for 18 years, was solved by the intercession of the British Government which had the backing of the United States. However a residual issue like Sir Creek in the Run of Kutch had been defying the bilateral dialogue for the past 32 years. How a dispute like Kashmir which poses," a critical danger to peace" could be resolved at the bilateral level, he questioned. Sattar said Indo-Pak relations had gone from bad to worse and tension had always hung on their ties just because of the Kashmir dispute. India exploited the internal situation in Pakistan in 1971, helped the separatist elements and finally committed aggression against Pakistan to cut it into two, said the Foreign Minister. Simla Agreement in 1972, he said, was," negotiated under duress," and India was able to , "impose an agreement under the elements which would have been never accepted ," by Pakistan in normal conditions. However even in that difficult situation Pakistan did not compromise on the future of Kashmir or on Kashmiris' right to self- determination. The Simla agreement recognized that the future of state of Kashmir would have to be decided by the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
US can play an important role in talks between India, Pakistan : Maleeha Lodhi
ISLAMABAD, Mar 22 (APP): Pakistan Ambassador to the United States Maleeha Lodhi has said the United States can play an important role in talks between India and Pakistan. "We think the United States has already been playing a role, although the quiet one in trying to defuse and de-escalate tensions between India and Pakistan", Maleeha Lodhi told BBC who made a stop-over in London on her way to Pakistan. The Ambassador said, the US was involved in defusing the Kargil conflict and now India wants to impose the way of bilateral talks for the solution of Kashmir issue on Pakistan. "In this way as a bigger country it (India) wants to impose a solution on Pakistan which in clear words is not acceptable to us", she added. Maleeha said that no condition has been attached for President Clinton's visit and no bargaining took place and that we cannot sustain any bargaining in this regard. She expressed the hope that President Clinton will succeed in reducing tension between India and Pakistan on nuclear weapons issue. She said that it is an opportunity for the US President to help in reducing new conventional and nuclear arms race started by India in the region. Maleeha said that India has increased recently its defence budget by 30 percent and intends to m0.ake large scale increase in nuclear weapons. She said, Pakistan has already presented various suggestions to the United States and India in connection with decrease of missiles and nuclear weapons. She expressed the hope that President Clinton will try to convince India to stop the arms race in the region.
Pakistan ready to talk to India on Kashmir issue : Ashraf Jehangir Qazi
ISLAMABAD, Mar 22 (APP): Pakistan High Commissioner to India Ashraf Jehangir Qazi said on Tuesday that Pakistan is ready to talk to India on Kashmir issue, recognising its responsibility as a nuclear state. In an interview with CNN he said, "We need to address Kashmir issue which is the root cause of tension and has kept us apart for more than half century and now has assumed a very dangerous character." Qazi said, it is India which is insisting on unilateral conditions of totally unreasonable nature as a prior condition of talks. To a querry he said, Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf has reached out to the Indian people though print and electronic media and has said on innumerable occasions that he is willing to enter into a realistic dialogue which addresses the core issue of Kashmir. Deploring and condemning massacre of innocent Sikhs in held Kashmir, the High Commissioner said, "We sympathise with the victims to whom are heart goes out", adding "Pakistan itself is a country which has been the victim of all kind of terrorist acts."
He said, it is very disappointing to see the immediate rush to judgement in India and its efforts to implicate Pakistan. The massacre reminds the hijacking incident when India rushed to a judgement and asked the world to declare Pakistan a terrorist state without any evidence to support their charges against Pakistan, he said. To a question, he said Pakistan has been emphasising that Kashmir is the core problem that needs to be addressed in order to reduce tensions. Qazi said, "one cannot speculate as who is responsible but one thing can be said with absolute surety that there is no question of Pakistan or any one based in Pakistan being involved." "Neither any freedom fighter in Kashmir is involved because this is not an incident which would help their cause," he added. He noted, this is the last thing the freedom fighters would want as their struggle has been of a totally different pattern and this kind of incident is out of character and leaves one mystified. Qazi said, India is quite brutal in suppressing its people and no freedom is allowed to the people who do not agree with India and want to peacefully and publicly propagate their ideas. Kashmiris have been forced to take up arms because peaceful political activity is simply not allowed by India, he commented. "We certainly offer diplomatic, moral, political support to Kashmiris because we are party to the dispute and recognised by all and have innumerable links with the people of Kashmir," he added.
He clarified that Pakistan government is certainly not giving assistance to any activity, which goes inside Occupied Kashmir. The High Commissioner agreed with the comment that in the presence of 700,000 Indian troops, the Kashmir movement is home-grown and not sponsored by Pakistan. "The Kashmir movement is indigenous and stems from the fact that universally recognised right of the Kashmiri people to exercise their right to self-determination is recognised by India", he added. The right of self-determination is suppressed by India despite the pledge to respect the UN resolutions. He said, President Clinton wants both parties to show restraint and resume dialogue as no military solution is possible.
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