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| Afghanistan/South Asia |
| Indian PM open to all options on Kashmir: paper |
| 2004-11-08 |
| SINGAPORE - India is willing to look at all options to resolve its long-running dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir, the Financial Times on Monday quoted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as saying. India has been cool to Pakistani proposals made through the media to end the dispute over Kashmir that has caused two of the three wars between the two nations. New Delhi has said it would not carry out such public peace negotiations. But, while he repeated India's demand that Pakistan end cross-border infiltration by Kashmiri rebels, Singh told the FT in an interview India was ready to look at ideas put forward by Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf. "As long as Pakistan remains committed (to ending cross-border terrorism), we are willing to look at all possible ways of resolving all outstanding issues, including on Jammu and Kashmir," Singh told the paper. "I think we are willing to look at all options to think about a new chapter and a new beginning." Singh said he would like to hear more about Musharraf's suggestions, which include demilitarising Kashmir and looking at options for its future including independence, joint control or some for of U.N. control. Indian Home Minister Shivraj Patil, visiting India's only Muslim-majority state, said on Saturday he was ready for unconditional talks with separatist leaders, and had no objection if they wanted to visit Pakistan before talks were held. Most Kashmiri separatists, who have either not been given passports or have had them impounded by Indian authorities, cautiously welcomed the offer. Moderate separatist leaders held two rounds of talks with the Indian government this year, for the first time since the insurgency broke out in 1989. But the talks stalled after Singh's Congress-led government took power in May, as New Delhi diplomats pushed the long-held line that Kashmir was an integral part of India. |
| Posted by:Steve White |