The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Saturday, July 21, 2001,
Chandigarh, India

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

M A I N N E W S

India rejects Pak contention
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 20
India today rejected Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf’s contention that Kashmir was the core issue for normalising relations between two countries and promoting peace in the subcontinent.

Talking to mediapersons immediately after General Musharraf’s two-hour televised press conference in Islamabad, External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh said that it was disappointing that there were daily killings of innocent men, women and children by terrorists encouraged and abetted from across the border.

He maintained that the Line of Control was a treaty document between India and Pakistan born out of the Simla Agreement. There is obviously a commitment to the provisions of the Simla Agreement, whereby both India and Pakistan would not disturb peace in either country.

“India continues to believe that Jammu and Kashmir is at the core of Indian nationhood,” the minister said.

He also contested Pakistan President’s contention about confidence building measures proposed by India.

Senior ministers, including Mr Jaswant Singh and Home Minister L. K. Advani, saw the Pakistan President’s press conference at the Prime Minister’s official residence at 7, Race Course Road.

As expected, President Musharraf tonight focussed yet again on Kashmir and reiterated that it was the core issue and peace could be achieved only if this was resolved, preferably with the help of the people and the active involvement of the Kashmiris.

Pakistan watchers here claim that the statement was a deliberate mix of an elaborate public relations exercise (thanking almost every one from Prime Minister down) and what he claimed was frank and plain speaking. It was widely perceived here that it was yet another exercise on General Musharraf’s side aimed at strengthening his own position as the undisputed numero uno of Pakistan.

His repeated reference to resolve all contentious issues for lasting peace in the sub-continent which was imperative for the economic growth of the two nations and banishing of poverty was obviously meant for those who still have not been able to reconcile to the fact that he was, afterall, a military dictator and had only recently assumed presidentship without the democratic mandate.

He was obviously playing to the domestic audience when he claimed that during the over six hours of one-to-one talks with Mr Vajpayee, almost 90 per cent of the time was devoted to discussing Kashmir. He also claimed that he was the only one who had taken up the Kashmir issue unlike his civilian predecessors who had signed both the Simla and the Lahore agreements.

Pakistan watchers, however, feel that the Agra summit has at least paved the way for further talks and keeping the communication channels open. It was only because of this that General Musharraf referred to his invitation to both Mr Vajpayee and Minister for External affairs Jaswant Singh. Both of them have accepted the invitation, but the Prime Minister, because of his earlier commitments, may not be able to go to Pakistan in the next few months.

“It was encouraging that the Pakistani President has recognised the need for peace in the region but he will have to change his stance on Kashmir,” a senior official said.

“Where is the openness and flexibility that General Musharraf is constantly talking about,” is the question on everyone’s lips. The Pakistan President is only talking about Kashmir without touching about India’s major concern of cross border terrorism which is aided and abetted by Pakistan.

The statement was in consonance with the tone set by Mr Jaswant Singh a day after the two-day summit where he refused to either criticise or get into an argument over the reported press statements of leaders in Pakistan.

General Musharraf adhered to this as his Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar had done a couple of days earlier. He refused to criticise or condemn the Indian officials or their stand. He camouflaged it in diplomates even while denying that he was a diplomat and repeatedly flaunted his Army credentials.

Even while praising Mr Vajpayee for his open-mindedness and statesmanship, he said that drafting a resolution was no big deal. He could do it in half-an-hour, apparently referring to the number of times that the draft of the statement underwent changes.

He reiterated that resolution of Kashmir would be the biggest confidence building measure (CBM) and all other CBMs were meaningless. India realises that road ahead in its attempts to normalise relations with Pakistan considering the bitterness and mistrust over the last fifty years is a long and arduous one.

Asked whether there was a freedom struggle in 1971 which led to the birth of Bangladesh, the Pakistan President avoided a direct reply, saying that Pakistan had good relations with Bangladesh and Islamabad has no grudge against Dhaka.

The entire exercise was conceived and aimed at projecting the Pakistan viewpoint as permitting only three Indian correspondents — Vinod Sharma of the Hindustan Times, Seema Guha of the Times of India and Murlidhar Reddy of the Hindu to ask questions made it abundantly clear.

While General Musharraf talked about banishing poverty from the subcontinent, he said it could be only done or was rather possible when the issue or what he prefers the Kashmir dispute was resolved.

By involving the people directly, General Musharraf is trying to circumvent established institutions and well-tried practices of international relations.

It appears that General Musharraf is now trying to foment further trouble in Jammu and Kashmir by provoking people to resort to direct action.

Former Foreign Secretary Muchkund Dubey said that now General Musharraf was opening up the option of independence for Kashmir as a mere midway strategy. First, wean away Kashmiri people from India and then force them into Pakistan’s lap.