Pak. alleges plot to kill Hurriyat leader

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, FEB. 23. Pakistan today alleged that involvement of Indian authorities and agencies could not be ruled out in the `plot' to eliminate the All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leader, Prof. Abdul Ghani Bhat.

The charge was levelled in a press statement released by the Pakistan Foreign Office even as senior functionaries of the military government continued to denounce the extension of the ceasefire in Kashmir as a `gimmick'.

The Foreign Office statement condemned what it termed as a plot to eliminate Prof. Bhat who was saved by the timely detection of a grenade planted in his car near Sopore. It said circumstances surrounding the incident strongly point to the involvement of Indian authorities and quoted Prof. Bhat as saying that he suspected the hand of the Farooq Abdullah Government.

``The attempt on the life of Prof. Bhat is clearly part of Indian machinations to weaken the freedom struggle by eliminating its leaders and to spread terror among the people of Occupied Kashmir. India's claim that the incident was caused by problems among the leaders of the freedom movement is a futile attempt to cover up its own responsibility,'' the statement said.

In another development, the Director General, Inter-Services Public Relations, Major Gen. Rashid Qureshi, has said that the ceasefire extension was meant only to hoodwink the world people.

``If India is serious it should respond to the proposals made by Pakistan. We are of the firm opinion that there cannot be any military solution to Kashmir problem. We want that APHC leaders should be allowed to visit Pakistan and have the opportunity to sit together with the Kashmiri leaders in Pakistan and discuss ways and means for solution of Kashmir problem,'' he told the British Broadcasting Corporation.

He questioned the allegations made by India about infiltration from across the border and wanted to know how the militants could cross over to the Indian side when the border is quiet.

In another interview the Pakistan Interior Minister, Lt. Gen. (retd) Moinuddin Haider, has said that Pakistan wants resumption of talks with India on the question of Kashmir.

``Pakistan already withdrew quite a number of forces from the LoC and has declared a unilateral ceasefire. We would not fire first except in self-defence. We want to give negotiations a chance and we believe in talks''.

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