On Kashmir: Reasons for fruitless India-Pak talks?!

DAWN INTERNET EDITION (dawn.com)

12 March 2002  Tuesday  

Pakistan to consider all options on Kashmir: NKC 
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By Our Staff Reporter 

ISLAMABAD March 11: Chairman of National Kashmir Committee (NKC) Sardar 
Abdul Qayyum Khan has said that Pakistan was ready to deliberate on all 
options for the settlement of Kashmir dispute through tripartite talks 
involving a third country but it would not be giving any formula. 

Briefing newsmen after holding a meeting with two former Pakistan foreign 
ministers Sartaj Aziz and Gohar Ayub Khan at parliament house on Monday the 
former AJK premier said, that India will have to accept third party 
mediation on Kashmir since no issue of international ramifications has ever 
been resolved through bilateral talks. 

He opined that the recent Saarc information ministers conference or any 
other such gathering can not help reduce border tension between the two 
countries unless China is involved in the regional organization. 

He blamed India of bullying every neighbouring country to show off as big 
power of the region and China could play a balancing of power factor by 
joining Saarc. 

Replying to a question whether the impression of winding up Kashmir issue 
in aftermath of Sept 11 and Dec 13 happenings was correct, the NKC chief 
said, it was not correct as the president has cleared in all his 
international forum appearances including UN and Agra that Kashmir was core 
issue between the two countries. 

He said, Pakistan has a major role in the solution of Kashmir issue through 
bilateral and tri-lateral efforts and it will never withdraw from its moral 
and political support to the indigenous freedom struggle of Kashmiri 
people. 

When asked for his reaction on the Indian intentions of holding polls in 
occupied Kashmir Sardar Qayyum said, "we support All Parties Hurriet 
Conference and will abide by whatever its reaction on the issue comes out". 

He said that the NKC will be holding a meeting with the visiting UNHCR 
chief Mary Robinson and apprise her the ongoing Indian forces atrocities in 
the occupied Kashmir and would like to know her side of the information on 
the problem of Kashmiri refugees. 

He advised the media not to call occupied Kashmir as Indian held Kashmir as 
India called Azad Kashmir as Pakistani held Kashmir. He said any attempt of 
merging Northern areas with Pakistan would give India licence to annex 
Laddakh and other areas to fizzle out the Kashmir as a disputed territory

-- 
Saima Alvi
Research Assistant
Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)
Opposite Sector U, DHA, Lahore-54792
Tel.: 5722670-79; Ext.: 2165