Pak. refuses to comment on Advani's statement

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, OCT. 3. Pakistan tonight declined to comment on the reported demand made by the Union Home Minister, Mr. L.K. Advani, that Pakistan turn over the chief of Jaish-e-Mohammad, Maulana Masood Azar, for the alleged involvement of his outfit in the blast incident outside the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Monday.

A senior official of the Pakistan Foreign Office when contacted maintained that he was not in a position to comment on the statement of Mr. Advani without going through the text of the comments.

Pakistan has already condemned the blast as an act of terrorism aimed at ``damaging and maligning the freedom struggle'' in Kashmir, the official said. He also doubted the veracity of the alleged claim by the Jaish and pointed out the denial given by the outfit about its involvement in the incident.

Earlier in a clear message that Islamabad was preparing to distance itself from the Taliban militia the Pakistan President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, said that national interest was the only factor in inter-state relations.

Presiding over a joint meeting of the National Security Council and the Federal Cabinet, Gen. Musharraf elaborated his statement by saying that `policies change to protect the national interest against a continuously changing international environment'.

Reiterating his government's commitment to persist with its policy of working with the international community to combat terrorism, the President said that it was a challenge that had to be met squarely. He told the meeting that he was confident that with the policies being followed by Pakistan today, the country would emerge a truly progressive, prosperous, strong, stable and Islamic democratic state enjoying peace at home and respect abroad.

Referring to the current crisis in the region in the backdrop of terrorists' attacks against the U.S. last month, the President emphasised that Pakistan had been endeavouring all along to protect Afghanistan and its people from any harm. He told his colleagues that no war was intended against Afghanistan.

Gen. Musharraf told the meeting that actions being contemplated by certain countries were targeted against terrorists and those who provide sanctuary to those terrorists. As far as Pakistan was concerned, it believed in peace, stability and unity of Afghanistan.

Pakistan believed that only a broad-based, multi-ethnic political dispensation with full consideration for ethnic realities could succeed in Afghanistan. Such a dispensation had to arise from within the country. He told the meeting that any imposed political solution in Afghanistan would not succeed. He, therefore, urged prudence and caution in dealing with the situation in that country.

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Section  : International
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