Bilateral talks on J&K will help: Jack Straw

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, NOV. 23. The British Foreign Secretary, Mr. Jack Straw, has said that resolution of the Kashmir issue is important for peace and stability in South Asia.

He told correspondents at the U.S. coalition information centre in response to a question that the Kashmir issue could be resolved through bilateral talks between India and Pakistan.

``We and other members of the international community are ready to assist. But our assistance would only be meaningful if we were invited for assistance by both the sides,'' he said. Earlier at a joint press conference with Mr. Straw, the Pakistan Foreign Minister, Mr. Abdul Sattar, said there had to be a clear distinction between `freedom movement and terrorism'.

Mr. Sattar said the Kashmir issue figured during discussions between Mr. Straw and the Pakistan President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf. Mr. Straw said he had a general discussion on the security situation in the region and Pakistan's relations with its neighbours.

He specifically referred to the news report about possibility of a meeting between the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, and Gen. Musharraf, at the coming SAARC summit in Kathmandu in January first week.

Mr. Sattar said the United Nations was now discussing the issue of definition of terrorism. The Organisation of Islamic Conference had a clear position on freedom movements and terrorism, he said and maintained that they could not be equated.

``In Kashmir, according to Kashmiris, more than 75,000 people have died in the last 12 years. Here I want to know who is the killer and who is the terrorist. The victim or the perpetrator?''

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