M A I N   N E W S

Pak for third-party mediation on Kashmir

Washington, May 16
Sticking to its stand on Kashmir, Pakistan has said Islamic fundamentalism will end only when issues like Kashmir and Palestine are settled.

It also said the US and international community have a role to play on Kashmir, under whatever name it is called — mediation, pressure, facilitation, encouragement — and they are doing it.

Islamic fundamentalism will end only when issues like Kashmir and Palestine are resolved, Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid M Kasuri said addressing the Heritage Foundation, a non-government think tank, here yesterday.

The Palestine and Kashmir problems are left over from the colonial era, he said. “One way is to shut our eyes and hope it will go away. The other one is to try and meet the situation.

“In the case of Kashmir, we had three wars, and we nearly came to a fourth war when there were one million troops facing each other and they were there for 10 months until Prime Minister (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee withdrew those troops and Pakistan responded by withdrawing ours.”

Kasuri said that there can be no solution to the Kashmir problem unless aspirations of the people of Kashmir are taken into consideration.

“Even if we show flexibility,” he said, “flexibility will extend only so far and we will have to tackle the aspirations of the people of Kashmir.”

Kasuri said “Kashmiris can actually become promoters of peace in the subcontinent because they have a vested interest in peace whether on the Indian side or on the Pakistani side, and we should encourage a dialogue between Kashmiris on both sides (of LoC) and start a dialogue among ourselves (India and Pakistan).”

Pakistan, he said, has decided it wants friendship with India “but it will not tolerate hegemony” and added that Islamabad needs US arms and spares because its “fears of India are not imaginary.”

“The White House is pleased with moves towards an Indo-Pakistan dialogue”, Press Officer Scott Mc Clellan told reporters in Washington.

“Obviously, we are pleased with some of the steps going in the region, in terms of improved dialogue, increased dialogue, and efforts to reduce tensions in the region. That is important. We welcome those steps”, he said. PTI

India says no

NEW DELHI: India on Friday said the USA was “legitimately concerned” about preventing a war with Pakistan, but made it clear that there was no role for third party mediation on Kashmir.

“When it comes to a dialogue with Pakistan, there is no third seat on the table. And, they are fully aware of it,” Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary and National Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra, told NDTV. PTI