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Musharraf calls for 'meaningful dialogue'

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD JULY 21. The Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, has called for a "meaningful dialogue" between India and Pakistan to defuse the current tension and resolve the Kashmir dispute in line with the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

In an interview to the Saudi daily, Al-Watan, Gen. Musharraf claimed that the only way to resolve the dispute was to allow the people of Kashmir to exercise their ``right to self-determination.''

The United Nations resolutions had provided for a plebiscite to ascertain the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

"We can move towards the resolution of the dispute if India recognises that Kashmir is a dispute between Pakistan and India and it needs to be settled,'' Gen. Musharraf said.

There have been many indications from the managers of the Musharraf regime in the last five weeks that the commitment given by the Pakistan President to the interlocutors from the U.K. and the U.S. are conditional.

It appears that he had told the British Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, and the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Richard Armitage, that Islamabad could respond effectively to India's concerns only if New Delhi was willing to reciprocate with substantive measures. The fact that Mr. Straw left Islamabad without meeting Gen. Musharraf on Saturday has led to speculation.

One interpretation is that Gen. Musharraf did not deem it necessary to meet Mr. Straw as, in Pakistan's assessment, the facilitators from the U.S. and the U.K. had not succeeded in prevailing upon India to respond ``adequately'' to his commitments.

In his interview to the Saudi paper, Gen. Musharraf said a "meaningful dialogue" could lead to a breakthrough, paving the way for a peaceful and long-lasting settlement of the Kashmir issue, in accordance with the U.N. resolutions.

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