Delhi not for Musharraf, Hurriyat meet, Pak. told

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, JUNE 27. India has conveyed in polite but clear terms to Pakistan that it will not appreciate any meeting, formal or informal, between the Pakistani President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, and the representatives of the All-Party Hurriyat Conference during his July 14-16 visit to India.

According to diplomatic sources the message has been communicated to the concerned quarters both in New Delhi and here. ``The impression we got is they seem to understand India's view point,'' a senior diplomat said.

Gen. Musharraf's statement during an interaction with some Pakistani newspaper editors here on Tuesday that he will ``try his best'' to meet the APHC leaders has not gone unnoticed in India.

It was pointed out that General had been diplomatic enough to say he would do his utmost to meet the Hurriyat leaders adding Pakistan would not make an issue of it. Implied was the suggestion that Pakistan was still trying to persuade New Delhi to allow a Hurriyat delegation to meet Gen. Musharraf. On the Chief Executive's statement that he will have no hesitation in declaring the APHC the ``true representative'' of the Kashmiris, India's response is that it is consistent with Pakistan's known position.

India would like the General to avoid meeting the Hurriyat leaders since it does not recognise the Hurriyat as the ``sole representative body'' of the Kashmiris.

It is not the first time in recent months that India has conveyed its stand vis-a-vis the Hurriyat to Pakistan. Immediately after Pakistan proposed that a Hurriyat delegation be permitted to visit Islamabad for consultations on the possible ways to resolve the Kashmir conflict, New Delhi made known its stand. In January this year, the Indian High Commissioner, Mr. Vijay K. Nambiar, called on Gen. Musharraf and made this point clear.

Meanwhile, a report in the Urdu daily, Jang, claimed that India had agreed to allow the APHC leaders to meet Gen. Musharraf and that the details were being worked out through diplomatic channels. The Pakistan Chief of Protocol, Mian Khalid Habib, would leave for New Delhi on Monday while the Pakistan High Commissioner in India, Mr. Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, would arrive here later, the paper said.

It said Gen. Musharraf would hold meetings with various delegations at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi soon after reception ceremonies and top of the list would be the interaction with the Hurriyat leaders. Quoting sources, the paper said India had even informed some top Hurriyat leaders of its desire to facilitate a meeting with Gen. Musharraf.

The decision to allow Hurriyat leaders to meet the General was the most significant development prior to the visit, the paper said. The Hurriyat leaders were also likely to meet the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, after Gen. Musharraf's visit.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Front Page
Previous : PM for consensus on growth rate
Next     : It is U.S. pressure: Musharraf