Wednesday, Oct 16, 2002
Wednesday, Oct 16, 2002 |
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By B. Muralidhar Reddy
Gen. Musharraf, who returned today after a two-day visit to Istanbul in connection with the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) summit, has been quoted as saying ``Pakistan is and will remain a key member of the international coalition against international terror''. His remarks that he expected a ``very healthy'' government at the national level despite the fragmented nature of the people's verdict had been interpreted by observers here as an indication that the military establishment was not unduly perturbed over the electoral outcome. In contrast to the apprehensions and doubts in the media over the continuation of a foreign policy shift in the aftermath of the September 11 events as a result of the emergence of alliance of religious parties as a ``third force'', Gen. Musharraf had been quoted as saying that religious parties had played a role in Pakistani politics for decades. On government formation, Gen. Musharraf told Pakistani correspondents that it was up to political parties to decide about the nature of the government they wanted. ``They should not approach me but instead hold exchange of views amongst themselves for the constitution of a government''. Answering a question on the feasibility of the formation of a national Government, Gen. Musharraf told Pakistani reporters that it was again up to the political parties. ``I leave it to them if they desire to have a national government.'' In a related development, the Information Minister, Nisar Memon, has said that the international community need not feel apprehensive over the success of Mutahidda Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) as leaders of the alliance have served as parliamentarians in the past as well. He told reporters in Lahore that if the people of Pakistan had elected these ``Islamic leaders, who are not fundamentalists, then the decision must be respected at all levels''. To another question about foreign policy, he said elected representatives could express the opinion but their views would matter only if they would be in the Government, he said. However, he hoped that all the elected representatives, including those of the MMA, would understand the challenges of the modern world in the current geo-political scenario and the situation faced by Pakistan. In Istanbul, Gen. Musharraf accused India of attempting to exploit the international campaign against terrorism to undermine the ``freedom struggle'' of the people of Kashmir. ``There could hardly be a more glaring example of state terrorism than Indian brutality in Kashmir,'' he told reporters. He termed the recent elections in Jammu and Kashmir as ``farcical'' and claimed that Indian game plan was to justify and legitimise the ``illegal occupation''. He asserted that the Kashmiri people boycotted the elections and such ``sham'' elections could never substitute for fair and impartial plebiscite under the U.N. auspices to ascertain the wishes of the Kashmiri people as decreed by the United Nations Security Council. On the border tensions, he urged India to withdraw troops to peacetime locations and return to the path of dialogue and negotiations.
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