Musharraf sabotaging peace process: PML

ISLAMABAD, JULY 22. The Nawaz Sharif-led Pakistan Muslim League (PML) has said that the Pakistan President, General Pervez Musharraf, was turning out to be the ``biggest hurdle'' in finding a solution to the Kashmir issue and accused him of sabotaging the Lahore peace process.

The PML spokesman, Mr. Mushaidullah Khan, said the people of Pakistan and India sincerely desired a peaceful solution to the Kashmir issue, and the Lahore declaration was a practical step towards achieving this goal. But Gen. Musharraf sabotaged it through the military revolt of October 12, 1999. ``Gen. Musharraf is turning out to be the biggest hurdle to the resolution of the Kashmir issue,'' he said. Commenting on Gen. Musharraf's remarks on Friday's press conference, he said ``if people of the two countries sincerely wanted to resolve the issue of Kashmir, nobody could stop the process. Yes, the people of Pakistan and India do want a peaceful solution of Kashmir issue, but the diplomatic offensive launched by Mr. Nawaz Sharif towards this end was sabotaged by Gen. Pervez Musharraf''.

He claimed that a democratically-elected Government in Pakistan had made significant headway in resolving the problem.

``The General first disowned the Lahore declaration, and then went to India in the guise of a dove holding out an olive branch, claiming he would create history, but was shown the door,'' he said.

``Gen. Musharraf's Agra yatra was in fact a desperate attempt to justify the military revolt, upgrade his stature, and prove himself to be a redeemer, but he failed on all counts.''

- PTI

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Section  : International
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