M A I N   N E W S

Indian MPs return from Pakistan
Claim Pak has softened stand on Kashmir
Varinder Walia and Pawan Kumar

Wagah, August 13
Even as India today rejected Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s proposal for a ceasefire, along the Line of Control (LoC), the Rashtriya Janta Dal President, Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav, Mr Ram Jethmalani, Chairman on Kashmir committee, Mr Saleem Sherwani, a former Foreign Minister and other members of Parliament, returned to India after attending a two-day South Asian Media Association Convention. They expressed hope that permanent peace would be established in the region.

Overwhelmed by the love and affection they received during their four-day stay in Pakistan, the Indian delegates said people of both the countries would force their respective governments to initiate a direct dialogue on bilateral issues, including the Kashmir issue. It was time to break barriers of hatred and open a new chapter of friendship between both the countries. “This is not the end, this is just a beginning”, said Laloo in chaste Hindi. He said the ice had already been broken due to the initiative taken by people of both the countries. As a result, General Musharraf and hardliners in Pakistan had softened their stand, especially on the Kashmir issue said Laloo who had stolen the show during his visit to Pakistan.

The Indian delegates advocated the resumption of ‘Samjhauta Express’ and air links between New Delhi and Islamabad with a view to strengthening ties of friendship. Mr Yadav said that the statements given by hardliners in India and Pakistan, aimed at creating hatred, must be censored.

On the Kashmir issue, Mr Jethmalani, chairman on ‘Kashmir committee’, said that he was hopeful that the Kashmir dispute could be resolved amicably. He said the statements given by General Musharraf on this issue were self explanatory. He, however, refused to divulge the details on the proposed dialogue on the Kashmir issue with Pakistan, on the plea that it would complicate the issue instead.

Mr Saleem Sherwani, a former Foreign Affairs Minister, said that he had seen positive signs of friendship and keen desire among the people of Pakistan to create permanent peace in the region.

He said the statements issued by General Musharraf had given clear indications that Pakistan had softened its stand on the Kashmir issue. “Though the people of Pakistan are keen to resolve the Kashmir problem yet they did not want that this (Kashmir) should become any hurdle in way of the peace initiatives between both the countries.

Mediaperson-turned politician, Mr Rajiv Shukla, said that people of Pakistan were keen to establish permanent ties with their Indian counterparts. He, however, advocated the Track II diplomacy to strengthen relations between India and Pakistan. He said there was always a space for such initiatives for creating conducive atmosphere in the subcontinent. An Akali Dal, MP, Mr Zora Singh Mann, said that there was lot of scope to improve relations with Pakistan.