Pakistani Islamist leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman said yesterday his just-ended visit to India had strengthened hopes that peace efforts between the nuclear neighbours would gain further momentum. "We feel that some steps can now be taken to move the peace process forward for resolution of disputes between Pakistan and India," said Rehman, the secretary-general of Pakistan's powerful Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal Islamic alliance.
| Careful talking like that. You'll give Qazi another heart attack. Or catch lead from Azam Tariq... |
Rehman, who heads the country's radical Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) party, made a rare visit to India from July 15 to Wednesday with three other JUI members of parliament at the invitation of India's Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind Muslim party. The highlight of his trip were meetings with Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and opposition leader Sonia Gandhi. "I found Vajpayee very positive and he talked positive. He agreed to come to Pakistan to attend the Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation) summit which is good omen for improvement of ties," Rehman said. Upon his return, Rehman met with Pakistan Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali and conveyed a message from Vajpayee. Ahmed refused to divulge details of the message but hinted it carried proposals from Vajpayee on ways to resolve contentious matters - including the core dispute of Kashmir.
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