M A I N   N E W S

Storm over cup of tea persists
NDA boycott unfortunate: Mirwaiz
Ravi Bhatia
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 12
The All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) today termed as unfortunate the National Democratic Alliance’s decision to boycott the Pakistan High Commissioner’s tea party on July 14 in honour of the visiting Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) had at its meeting yesterday decided to boycott the reception as the Pakistani High Commissioner, Mr Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, had invited all seven members of the separatist APHC despite the reservations expressed by the Indian Government.

Former chairman of the APHC, Mr Mirwaiz Omar Farooq, said it was unfortunate that the NDA had taken this stand without knowing the Hurriyat. He is reported to have said that the Hurriyat did not want to be seen as “ a spoiler of the peace process.”

The former chairman, who recently returned after attending the meeting of the Organisations of Islamic Conference (OIC) in Mali, said the APHC had written to General Musharraf and Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, seeking an audience before the Agra summit to find a lasting solution to the Kashmir imbroglio.

On his part, Mr Qazi has termed the controversy over the proposed meeting between General Musharraf and members of the APHC at the reception as a “non issue.”

There are also reports of a clear division among members of the APHC over the issue.

However, Mr Mirwaiz Omar Farooq today denied any differences among members of the APHC over attending the reception.

Cong decides otherwise

New Delhi, July 12
After a meeting with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, the Congress tonight announced that it will attend the tea party being hosted by the Pakistan High Commission in honour of President Pervez Musharraf contrary to earlier indications.

“We will be attending the tea party but who will be going will be known by tomorrow,” senior party leader Pranab Mukherjee told reporters. PTI

Faux pas in guest list

New Delhi, July 12
In a goof-up, well-known historian Prof Ravindra Kumar, who died two months ago, figured among 100 persons who were on the guest list for the official banquet to be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in honour of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf.

Official sources said Prof Ravindra Kumar’s name figured in the list prepared by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) which was forwarded to the President’s secretariat. It is understood that the President himself noticed the faux pas. UNI

Address core concerns of people: PM

Islamabad, July 12
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today said India and Pakistan should shed “narrow and cliche-ridden” approaches and seek ways to take their entire relationship forward and address the “core concerns” of the people of the two countries.

In an interview to Pakistan’s official news agency APP in New Delhi, the first-ever to any Pakistan media organisation, on the eve of the Indo-Pakistani summit, Mr Vajpayee said India was prepared to explore jointly with Pakistan such constructive ways to take forward the relationship.

Asked what prompted him to invite Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf for talks, Mr Vajpayee said India had extended the hand of friendship in the background of the vision of peace and friendship between the two countries.

He, however, denied that he had extended the invitation under any external pressures.

Replying to a question on how he intended to move forward towards resolution of Kashmir issue, he said narrow and cliche-ridden aproaches had not worked in the past.

About involving the Hurriyat Conference in talks on the Kashmir issue Mr Vajpayee said “we have always indicated to hold dialogue with all groups and individuals in Jammu and Kashmir that abjure violence and are committed to peace, the APHC is not an exception.”

Replying to a question on the UN Resolutions on Kashmir issue, he said India and Pakistan had bilateral commitment which went well beyond the UN Charter in enjoining them to resolve their differences peacefully through dialogue.