'Pak. to keep all channels open '

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, JAN. 13. The Pakistan Foreign Minister, Mr. Abdul Sattar, told a high-level Indian delegation, currently here on track-II diplomacy, that Pakistan was eagerly looking forward to the visit of the All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) and that it would not insist on its involvement in the dialogue process at the initial stage itself for settlement of the Kashmir dispute.

Mr. Sattar, who spent over two and half hours with the delegation during of a luncheon meeting he hosted in their honour, told them repeatedly that Pakistan would encourage all channels of diplomacy for resumption of dialogue.

The team members who were present at the meeting were Lt. Gen. (retd) V.R. Raghavan, former Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan, Mr. K.S. Bajpai, Air Chief Marshal (retd.) S.K. Mehra, Rear Admiral (retd.) Raja Menon, former Foreign Secretary and Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan, Mr. J.N. Dixit, and Prof. Matin Zuberi.

There is nothing new in the statement of the Minister that Pakistan would not insist on its involvement in the initial stage itself. For the first time, Pakistan articulated this position when it invited the APHC for talks and urged the Indian Government to hold separate talks with the Hurriyat leaders. The contention of Pakistan is that the separate talks of Hurriyat with the Indian and Pakistan Governments should prepare the ground for the ultimate tripartite dialogue.

The track-II delegation was surprised to hear a detailed account from the Minister on the internal challenges being confronted by the military Government and the efforts being made by it to overcome them.

As a senior member of the delegation told The Hindu that ``the Minister was clearly giving a message that the military Government in full command of the situation''. Mr. Sattar was candid in his observations on the obstacles in the path of the settlement of the Kashmir problem.

The subject of nuclear risks between India and Pakistan was the other dominant theme of the interaction with the Minister.

The Indian team is here essentially to interact at various levels on the dangers of nuclearisation of the sub- continent.

Mr. Sattar left the delegates in no doubt that the Pakistan nuclear arsenal was `India-focused' and in that context emphasised the need for measures for reduction of nuclear risks.

The Minister reportedly agreed with the assessment of the delegates that the main concern of the Lahore Declaration was on steps that were needed to be taken on both sides to avert the nuclear dangers. Mr. Sattar told the delegates that the Lahore Declaration was a valid document and the military Government was committed to its implementation.

Earlier in the day, the Pakistan Additional Secretary in the Foreign Ministry, Mr. Riaz Mohammad Khan, gave a presentation on the nuclear doctrine of Pakistan and answered questions from the delegation.

Mr. J.N. Dixit presented a paper a paper on the `Indian perspective on Afghanistan' at the Quaid-e-Azam University. The thurst of his paper was that India had nothing against the Taliban regime but it was concerned about the reports of involvement of Taliban in export of `jehad' (holy war) to the neighbouring countries.

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