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Pak. must stop support to terrorism in Kashmir: Blair

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON JUNE 21. The British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, has said that the Kashmir issue can be resolved only if Pakistan stopped supporting terrorism and India agreed to discuss all issues between the two countries. He asked Pakistan to cease "completely and absolutely'' its support to terrorism in Kashmir, and said once that happened India must offer a dialogue.

Talking to presspersons here on Thursday, he said: "We have worked extremely hard to bring the two sides together and the only basis we are going to resolve that, I have no doubt at all, is on the basis of Pakistan ceasing completely and absolutely its support for terrorism in Kashmir, or indeed exported from Kashmir. And the Indian Government recognising that if that is the case it is sensible to offer dialogue on all the issues so that we can resolve what are pressing and difficult questions through that bilateral dialogue between the two sides.''

Mr. Blair praised the diplomatic efforts of the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw who, he said, made a "very successful and timely visit to India and Pakistan'' to ease the tension between the two countries. He denied that British arms supplies to the region had fuelled tension. "What is stimulating the conflict in Kashmir are the sources of that conflict that we know about. And the idea that the reason why you have got this conflict in Kashmir is that both sides have got British weapons, honestly it is not the case'', he said.

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