International

Pak. envoy's remark on Kashmir assailed

KUALA LUMPUR JUNE 15. India's High Commissioner to Malaysia, Veena Sikri, has criticised her Pakistani counterpart for his remarks that Islamabad will continue to extend moral, political and diplomatic support to the ``Kashmiri struggle.''

``I am surprised by His Excellency's repeated reference to moral, diplomatic and political support because just the other day we received the pledge from Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf committing to end cross-border terrorism and all kinds of support from the Pakistan side'', Ms. Sikri said during a live debate on Malaysian State television yesterday.

``We have already put in place de-escalating measures but now to go back to talk of political, moral and diplomatic support seems to me a great going back from even the positive result of the last few days,'' she said.

The Pakistan High Commissioner, Naseem Rana, had earlier in the debate admitted that some quarters in Pakistan sympathised with those who had taken up arms in Kashmir. ``Yes, in Pakistan there are sympathisers, not the Government. ``The Government is providing the political, moral and diplomatic support nationally and internationally,'' Mr. Rana said.

Ms. Sikri cited the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373 which states that any support to terrorism, be it moral, diplomatic, political or economic, was unacceptable.

The resolution was enforceable by the U.N. against any country extending such support, she added.

``We are saying the global war against terrorism is one war. It cannot be one war in the western front of Afghanistan and another in the eastern front in India,'' Ms. Sikri said.

She said the signatories at the Almaty summit had committed themselves not to support separatism in any way and also not to let religion be used as a pretext for support.

Mr. Rana said the understanding of what was terrorism and what was a struggle for self-determination had become blurred in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in the U.S. and the beginning of its war against terror. He accused India of taking advantage of the international situation.

PTI

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