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India's Government Coalition Partners To Boycott Musharraf Reception
NEW DELHI, July 11 (News Agencies) - The atmosphere before the weekend's historic India-Pakistan summit turned bitter on Wednesday when all members of India's governing coalition decided to boycott an embassy reception for Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.
"It was decided that no one from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will attend the high tea at the Pakistan High Commission," NDA official, George Fernandes, told reporters after a meeting of coalition leaders.
The embassy "tea party" has sparked off controversy with its invitation to the main separatist alliance in Indian Kashmir - the All Party Hurriyat (Freedom) Conference (APHC) - to meet with Musharraf.
New Delhi had wanted the APHC excluded from Musharraf's July 14-16 summit visit and "advised" the high commission here against extending the invitation.
"Some NDA members have received invitations for the reception. It was noticed that the invitation was extended only to the APHC and not any MP or any other representative of the Kashmir government," Fernandes said.
"It seems Pakistan wants to show that the APHC is the sole representative of the people of Kashmir."
Some members of the APHC - whose allies include around two-dozen Kashmiri separatist groups - have themselves decided to turn down the invitation on grounds that they have been excluded from the summit.
Meanwhile, at the same meeting of the NDA, Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee told coalition partners that in addition to Kashmir, India would also discuss cross-border terrorism, trade, culture and other issues vital to improving bilateral relations at the summit.
Earlier on Wednesday, India's foreign office said Delhi was willing to discuss all thorny subjects, including Kashmir at the summit.
"We are prepared to discuss all the issues," foreign ministry spokeswoman, Nirupama Rao, said of the upcoming meeting in the Taj Mahal town of Agra.
"The prime minister's invitation amply outlines India's desire to address the core concerns of people of both the countries and we will address all the issues, which will include Kashmir," Rao said.
The discussions will be based on the broad framework of a "composite dialogue which sets the tone for future direction," Rao said, adding that trade and commerce were part of the issues India was open to negotiating on.
"And, so, all issues of the composite dialogue will be logically part of the talks," she added.
Pakistan, however, insists the dispute over Kashmir - the cause of two of the three wars between India and Pakistan - is the "core" issue that needs to be addressed before all others.
Musharraf said Wednesday that with world attention focused on the India-Pakistan summit, he was going to New Delhi with the firm idea of finding a resolution to the issue of Kashmir.
"I go there with all seriousness to initiate a process of movement towards the resolution of the Kashmir dispute," Musharraf told state television.
"I consider this extremely essential ... because this is not only my hope but it is also the hope of the people of Pakistan. I think also it is the hope of the people of India. And, may I also add, it is the hope and aspiration of the people of the entire world," Musharraf said.
"The entire world's attention is focused on this dialogue. So I only hope that we achieve progress in the dialogue towards resolution of the core dispute of Kashmir."
But, India argues that confidence-building measures (CBMs) and instruments to reduce nuclear tensions should be equally as high on the agenda.
Rao said India had already sent Pakistan's Vajpayee suggestions for setting up experts' groups on the issue of nuclear weapons.
"The CBM proposals have been made to Pakistan and their response is awaited," Rao added.
But, Pakistan said Tuesday that while it was in favor of military and civilian CBMs between the countries, the issue of Kashmir had to be resolved first.
Musharraf said, "Kashmir is the core issue and if we will not move forward for its settlement, all the confidence building measures between India and Pakistan will not move ahead."
Meanwhile, hardline Hindus in Agra staged a protest Wednesday at the summit's venue, demanding Musharraf apologize for a bloody 1999 border conflict between India and Pakistan in Kashmir.
Defying police cordons, the activists burned an effigy of Musharraf and demanded that he apologize for the hundreds of Indian soldiers killed in the 10-week battle against Pakistan-backed forces in the Kargil sector of Kashmir.
Dozens of activists belonging to the right-wing Shiv Sena party, which is allied to Vajpayee's ruling BJP party, also urged residents of the Taj Mahal city to wave black flags as a greeting to Musharraf on Sunday.
Musharraf will leave for India early on Saturday as the head of a four-member official delegation, Information Secretary Anwar Mahmood told reporters late Wednesday. He added that around 100 Pakistani journalists left for New Delhi on Wednesday.
The Agra summit was expected to be covered by more than 1,000 journalists.
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