 President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan called yesterday for Kashmiri leaders to be involved in talks with India to resolve their main dispute over Kashmir. Musharraf said the Himalayan region was of "vital national interest" to Pakistan and would never compromise on this point. "Pakistan will accept only that solution of the Kashmir problem which is according to the wishes and aspirations of Kashmiris," he said in a message to legislators of Pakistan-ruled Kashmir.
| "And they'll do the right thing, or else," he added. |
Musharraf's message was read out to the legislative assembly because rains had prevented him from flying to the region to attend the annual Kashmir Solidarity Day. He said Pakistan had told India as well as the international community that the peace process between the nuclear-armed rivals could not move forward without the settlement of the Kashmir dispute and involvement of Kashmiris in the dialogue process. Musharraf said on state Pakistan Television that his country was ready to give up its decades old position of calling for a UN-sponsored plebiscite to resolve the Kashmir dispute if India responded in kind. "Pakistan's stance on the Kashmir issue remains the same original one," he said. "The only change is that we are ready to show flexibility if India also shows flexibility in its stance." Last year, Musharraf suggested demilitarising the territory while a compromise is sought over its status. He said this could include joint control, some form of UN control, or independence. But India rejects any redrawing of its borders or further division of territory.
| Since they have a clue of what 'Islamic compromise' is really all about. |
Speaking in Islamabad, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, head of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) alliance of six Islamic groups, said India must end its "illegal occupation" of Kashmir to resolve the lingering dispute. "Until this illegal occupation is brought to an end, no amount of confidence building measures can bring peace between Pakistan and India," he said |