Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=7/20/01

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-27847

TITLE=PAKISTAN / INDIA (L ONLY)

DATELINE=ISLAMABAD

BYLINE=JON TKACH

VOICED AT=

CONTENT=

INTRO: Pakistan's president, General Pervez Musharraf, says his recent summit with India marks the beginning of a process for resolving thorny issues between the two countries. As V-O-A's Jon Tkach reports from Islamabad, the Pakistani leader says he plans to formally invite the Indian prime minister for a second round of peace talks.

TEXT: General Musharraf says he hopes Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee will visit Pakistan soon to try and move the discussion forward.

In his first public comments since returning from a summit with India earlier this week, he downplayed reports that the meeting was a failure just because the two leaders failed to sign a formal agreement.

/// MUSHARRAF ACT 1 ///

I returned empty-handed, but I am not disappointed because there was extreme goodwill and understanding which was generated, and more than that the resolve to carry forward the initiated process.

/// END ACT ///

But, he continuously stressed the issue that caused the Agra talks to break down -- the divided region of Kashmir, which both countries claim.

/// MUSHARRAF ACT 2 ///

Can we bring peace without a resolution to Kashmir? My answer is certainly not.

/// END ACT ///

India says it wants to move forward on normalizing relations, and has sought to focus talks on other issues such as trade and nuclear safety. General Musharraf says he too wants friendly relations with India, but he says that cannot happen until they talk about Kashmir.

/// OPT // MUSHARRAF ACT 3 ///

How can it work? We hate each other. Reduce the hatred. Why are we hating each other? That is what I am saying. So we have to put the horse before the cart and the horse, whether we like it or not, is the Kashmir issue.

/// END ACT ///

/// OPT /// Pakistan and India have fought two of their three wars over the Himalayan region of Kashmir. Pakistan argues that the mostly Muslim Kashmiris should be allowed to choose whether they want to be governed by India or become part of Pakistan. But New Delhi says the region is an integral part of India. /// END OPT ///

Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee and his foreign minister Jaswant Singh are expected to visit Pakistan later this year. (Signed)

NEB/JON/JWH