'Third option not workable'

ISLAMABAD, MAY 26. The Pakistan High Commissioner to India, Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, has said that the third option of granting independence to Kashmir, other than the proposals for its accession to India or Pakistan, is not `workable' as it is not part of the United Nations resolutions on Kashmir.

``Pakistan's stand on the Kashmir dispute is still based on the UN resolutions. For Pakistan, the resolutions are still valid and if all the parties agree to any third option of independent Kashmir, this option would have to be made part of the UN resolutions,'' Urdu newspaper Jang today quoted him as saying.

It may be recalled that UN Secretary General, Mr. Kofi Annan, had during his visit to Pakistan earlier this year, said the resolutions on Kashmir were no more relevant and India and Pakistan should settle the issue in accordance with the spirit of the Shimla Accord and the Lahore Declaration.

Mr. Qazi told `Aaj Tak' that India should not impose any pre- conditions for the talks, look beyond Kargil episode and adopt a ``sincere'' approach towards resolving the Kashmir issue. ``Both sides should look towards the future instead of raking up the past,'' he told the programme.

- PTI

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