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Pakistan Flexible On Kashmir Talks, Welcomes Indian Moves
by Stephen Coates
ISLAMABAD (AFP) – Pakistan, on Friday, welcomed India's offer to consider allowing Kashmiri leaders to visit Islamabad, but warned a ceasefire depended on New Delhi ending its "repression".
Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar also said Islamabad was prepared to be flexible on the "details" of its proposal for a three-way dialogue between Kashmiri leaders, India and Pakistan.
But he said New Delhi could not expect Muslim freedom fighters in Indian-controlled Kashmir to end their struggle on the basis of India's one-month suspension of military operations.
"I think the Kashmiri freedom struggle is at this time expecting forward movement and if there is some visible movement [from India] then you can expect a response," he said.
"Once confidence is established that India is prepared to enter into a purposeful process for the settlement of the Kashmir question, then I think it would be reasonable to expect a positive response from the Kashmiri freedom struggle."
He welcomed Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's comments Thursday that his government was ready to consider a request from the main alliance of Kashmiri leaders to visit Pakistan for talks.
In response to India's one-month suspension of operations against groups in Kashmir last week, Pakistan has promised to use "maximum restraint" along the Kashmiri border.
It has also proposed that the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), the main political alliance based in the Indian zone of Kashmir, hold separate talks in Islamabad and New Delhi to facilitate tripartite talks.
Indian officials have rejected any possibility of "so-called tripartite talks", but Vajpayee's comments indicate an informal, indirect dialogue between the three parties may be considered.
"If India has any suggestions in regards to the details of the process, we will have an open mind," Sattar said.
"Tripartite, three-way, triangular - what do these words mean? The focus should be on how to involve the Kashmiris because it is their future that is at stake. Once you sit at the table you can see the shape of the table."
But he said India had to permanently end its military operations in Kashmir and commit itself to dialogue to convince all parties of its sincerity.
"If there are some points of detail about how the dialogue should proceed or how the Kashmiris should be involved these can be discussed. Pakistan's proposal should not be seen as rigid in this sense," he said.
Most Kashmiri groups have rejected India's ceasefire during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, saying it is meaningless without three-way dialogue between all the parties concerned.
The insurgency in Indian-controlled Kashmir has claimed more than 30,000 lives since it erupted in 1989, and India blames Pakistan for providing military backing to the mujahideen.
Pakistan denies the charge but offers open diplomatic support for the fighters.
Pakistan and India have also fought two wars, and a border conflict last year, over the divided Himalayan state.
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