No tripartite talks on Kashmir, says Nambiar

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, MAY 6. India has categorically ruled out any tripartite discussions on the Kashmir issue that would include Pakistan. However, it is prepared for a bilateral dialogue with Pakistan provided it is willing to address India's concerns over violence in the Valley.

In an interview with two Islamabad-based Indian correspondents here today, the Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Mr. Vijay K. Nambiar, said ``for any dialogue with Pakistan, to reach a level of credibility, as far as we are concerned, we need to have a basic environment, basic climate established which can come about only when Pakistani authorities can give some indication that they are not going to encourage and would put some control on these militant organisations.''

On the demand of the All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) and Pakistan for a tripartite dialogue, he said India did not favour it.

``The situation in Jammu and Kashmir is about lowering the level of violence due to acts of terrorism encouraged by organisations such as the Lashkar and Jaish-e-Mohammad, which needs to firmly countenanced. Unless that happens and unless we can see some control on their activities, we will have to take a view that Pakistan is not interested to stem the violence''.

The High Commissioner said the impression was that Pakistan would like see violence as a lever to push its own agenda and to put political pressure on India. ``As far as we are concerned, we will have to move in the direction of trying to involve the political groups of J&K to launch a process of dialogue with us, both to lower violence and to discuss the large issue of resolving the political differences.'' He said that as per the latest assessment, the involvement of `foreigners or outside elements' in Kashmir has been increasing over the last few months.

``The impression I have is that there is a certain element of tacit toleration of these activities which could be based on a sense of fear and intimidation which could naturally happen in this kind of situation. It could be based on cumulative disaffection among the population.''

On the appointment of Mr. K.C. Pant as an interlocutor and the possibility of a meeting between the Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan on the sidelines of the SAARC summit in Colombo, Mr. Nambiar said these were separate issues and linking them would be artificial.

Asked about India's readiness to engage the Musharraf regime, he said New Delhi had no reservations on holding a dialogue. ``We have dealt with military regimes in the past here and I think the military regime is in effective control. As for doing business, we will do business with them. I myself met the CE and paid a courtesy call on him and that is on instructions. So I do not think that we have any problems with the military regime here.''

The problem here really was how the dialogue should recommence with Pakistan under the circumstances where there were questions on the Lahore process. In the absence of willingness to rein in militant outfits, ``we do not know how the dialogue is going to be re-established''.

On further movement on Kashmir in the context of what happened in the last five months, he said, ``As far as I can see, the initiative taken by the Government of India in respect of Kashmir is there for everyone to see.''

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