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Back-channel talks on: Pervez

Islamabad, October 11
Terming as “unfair and misplaced” the criticism in India against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for reaching an accord with him to set up a joint mechanism to deal with terrorism, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf today said back-channel talks were on between the two countries to resolve the Kashmir issue.

Details of the efforts to solve the Kashmir issue would be made public when an agreement is arrived at, he said.

At an ‘Iftar’ party he hosted for editors of newspapers here, Musharraf referred to the criticism against Dr Manmohan Singh in India for reaching the agreement in the Havana meeting with him and said it was for the first time the two countries reached an understanding on sharing intelligence.

He said the contours of the joint mechanism to combat terrorism were yet to be worked out and “if anyone is criticising it in India, it will be an unfair criticism of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.”

“It (joint mechanism) is only one line in the agreements. The criticism is misplaced. It is just co-operation,” he said.

About the allegation of Pakistan’s involvement in the Mumbai blasts, Musharraf said that during the Havana meeting, he was not shown any evidence of this but that he had told India “from the beginning, let’s co-operate”.

“I’m against terrorism and the Mumbai blasts were a terrorist act. Pakistan deplores it, I am against it,” he said adding, that intelligence sharing would help prevent such acts. — PTI