Islamabad, February 19
Observing that the involvement of Kashmiri representatives in the peace process will enable “manoeuvrability” for India and Pakistan to take the peace process forward, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri today said that the two countries should stop “playing favourites” among the Kashmiri leaders to find a satisfactory solution to the Kashmir issue.

“We should encourage contacts between Kashmiris on both sides of the LoC with governments in New Delhi and Islamabad without exception,” he said in a wide-ranging interview, a day after the two sides agreed on a roadmap to resume the composite dialogue process on Kashmir and other issues.

However, he said the involvement of Kashmiri representatives was “not a precondition. This is only a sensible and logical way of looking at it. I am not saying this is the time they should be involved but common sense would suggest that sooner rather than later this should be done.

“It does not mean that you have favourites that you will talk to Ansari (Hurriyat faction led by Abbas Ansari) and not to Geelani (of rival Hurriyat faction). That applies to Pakistan also. We should stop playing favourites,” he said.

His comments came a day after President Pervez Musharraf spoke of the inclusion of Kashmiri leaders in the peace talks after the meeting between the Foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan later this year.

The Pakistan Foreign Minister candidly spoke on a host of issues covering the recently-concluded official-level talks, the Kashmir imbroglio, confidence-building measures on the nuclear issue and the upcoming tour of the Indian cricket team to Pakistan.

He said it would be a “real test” for him and External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha when they met in August after official-level talks on the eight-point agenda of the composite dialogue. The possibility of an Indo-Pak summit would be considered after this.

“The two Foreign Offices have played a positive role and this will make it easier for us when we meet in August. That will be the real test because it is quite clear that any shift in stated positions can take place only at the political level,” he said.

Mr Kasuri said the interaction of the Kashmiri leaders among themselves and with the Indian and Pakistan governments “will not only create the right atmosphere but it will also provide the manoeuvrability to both governments that is necessary for them if they have to show flexibility because involving the Kashmiris introduces an element of moderation into the whole dialogue.” — PTI