The Hindu : Hurriyat has not left us out: Pakistan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Aug 20, 2002

International

International

Hurriyat has not left us out: Pakistan

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD Aug. 19 Pakistan has reiterated that the resolution on Kashmir issue required a dialogue between India and Pakistan with participation of Kashmiris.

In response to questions on the reported inclination of the All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) to hold talks with India, the Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman, Aziz Ahmed Khan, insisted that it (Pakistan) has not been left out by the Kashmiri separatist conglomerate.

At the regular foreign office briefing here, Mr. Khan was responding to a question whether Pakistan was concerned that the APHC leaders, while accepting the Indian Government invitation extended through the Kashmir Committee for talks, has not made any reference to Pakistan's demand for tripartite talks. Citing APHC's earlier statements asking for tripartite talks between India, Pakistan and Kashmir leaders, Mr. Khan said to infer that the APHC has not spoken about the necessity of the Pakistan's participation in the dialogue amounted to "misreading'' of stand taken by the Hurriyat leaders.

``Kashmiri leaders have not said that there will be no participation of Pakistan. They just said if India is serious about resolution on Kashmir dispute, they are ready for negotiations. But there are earlier statements and positions", he said.

On the visit of the Jethmalani Committee to the valley and its parleys with Hurriyat leaders the spokesman merely said, "you have seen the reports about the committee's visit and the reaction of APHC to the request for their participation in the elections. The APHC rejected it. As far as effort to resolve the Kashmir question is concerned, we are ready to participate in any dialogue but I think that will be at the government level with the participation of the Kashmiri people''.

Asked whether any meeting was scheduled between the External Affairs Minister, Yashwant Sinha, and the Pakistan Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Inamul Haq, at the SAARC Ministers meeting in Kathmandu on Tuesday, the spokesman said as of now there was no such proposal.

He welcomed the just concluded visit of the Indian intellectuals' delegation including the Booker Prize winner, Arundhati Roy, to Pakistan. Pakistan welcomed the peace message brought by Ms. Roy along with journalists, Shekhar Gupta, Chief Editor Indian Express and N. Ram, Editor, Frontline.

He said the issue of growing defence co-operation between Israel and India figured in the discussions between the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf and the Syrian Foreign Minister, Al Shara.

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