Wednesday, Nov 06, 2002
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By B. Muralidhar Reddy
It was not clear as to why the military establishment deemed it necessary to restate Pakistan's policy when the newly-constituted National Assembly is readying to mark the transition to a civilian set-up. The Pakistan Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Inam-ul-Haq, made it a point to meet with the leaders of the All-Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) of the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir chapter and exchanged views on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, especially in the wake of the "recent sham elections". Obviously it was intended as a message to India and the international community. An official statement said Mr. Haq assured the Kashmiri leaders of Pakistan's complete "solidarity with the Kashmiri people and its unwavering resolve to continue to extend moral, diplomatic and political support to their legitimate struggle against Indian occupation". He told the delegation that Pakistan would continue with this policy until a fair settlement was found to the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the wishes of the people there and the UNSC resolutions. The statement said the Minister and the Kashmiri leaders agreed that the "farcical polls in Jammu and Kashmir have reconfirmed the widespread alienation of the Kashmiri people from the Indian colonial rule. The Kashmiri people rejected Indian efforts to substitute polls for a free and impartial plebiscite as envisaged in the U.N. Resolutions. This was amply evident from the overwhelming positive response given by the people of Jammu and Kashmir to the APHC's call to boycott the elections. Despite the use of massive coercive measures by the Indian security forces, the Kashmiris could not be forced to go to the polling stations." It said the APHC leaders expressed confidence and faith in the Government of Pakistan's support to "their just cause" and expressed deep appreciation for the solidarity and support extended by Pakistan and its leaders to the Kashmiri people in their "legitimate struggle for self-determination".
Evangelists come in for criticism
In a related development, the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs "deplored and condemned in the strongest possible terms the malicious remarks" made recently by the evangelic priests, Pat Robertson and Falwell, on U.S. television and on the Internet. It is not clear as to why the Foreign Office deemed it necessary to issue a statement on the reported remarks made over a month ago. The spokesman recalled that the Government of Pakistan had then immediately conveyed its "grave and serious concern" to the U.S. Government. The Government of Pakistan had also brought the matter to the urgent attention of the OIC Secretariat in Jeddah for collective action, as it was the concern of the entire Muslim Ummah. The spokesman stated that this remained an issue of major concern. "The Government of Pakistan believes that such mischief should not be permitted to succeed by inflaming public opinion and fanning religious and ethnic hatred. These fanatical, vulgar and irresponsible outbursts were designed to offend the sentiments of the Muslim world."
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