Pak. designs will not succeed, says Sinha

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR, SEPT. 2. The Union Finance Minister, Mr. Yashwant Sinha, today asserted that Pakistan would not succeed in its designs on Kashmir. He hoped it would see reason and negotiate with India to find solutions to all problems faced by the neighbours.

Mr. Sinha, who was here to inaugurate the corporate office of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank, said Pakistan should learn a lesson from its economic condition and come forward to find ways and means for cooperation on development issues. ``Our foreign exchange reserves stand at $44.5 billion and Pakistan's, that too with the help of IMF, is just $1.5 billion. This is the difference.''

At Agra also, the Pakistan President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, was asked to stop fighting and contribute in development schemes. ``Not only in India and Pakistan but also in the whole of South Asia, I think the problem we are facing is abject poverty. We shall have to work hard to eradicate it. We can come out of it but I am afraid if Pakistan would be able to do so.''

``I hope that when the two leaders meet in New York a constructive approach is demonstrated to hammer out solutions to the problems,'' Mr. Sinha said, adding that India was not a weak country. ``We have the willpower and stamina to counter any situation.''

The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, urged the Centre to guard the borders to prevent Pakistan from sending in militants to continue disturbances in the State.

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