October 20, 2001	Saturday	Shaba'an 2, 1422

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 19: German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer on Friday said that the escalation of tension between Pakistan and India was a source of serious concern, and called for dialogue for settlement of outstanding issues.

Mr Fischer had arrived here on a day-long tour ahead of Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s visit later this month. He met President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar, and discussed with them the Afghan crisis, particularly the proposed broad-based government in Kabul.

“We are really concerned on what happened on the Line of Control,” he said, calling for peaceful solutions of all outstanding issues.

Germany, he said, was fully committed to international efforts against terrorism but clarified that they were not against Islam or the Afghan people.

“Islam is a religion of peace,” he said, stressing that they did not blame Muslims for what had happened in the United States on Sept 11.

Talking to reporters, Mr Fischer also underscored the need for initiating a dialogue between different cultures and civilizations.

Referring to his talks with President Musharraf and Mr Sattar, he said they had agreed that the unity of Afghanistan should be preserved and the future political set-up in Kabul should not be imposed from outside.

Mr Fischer revealed that some of his representatives had met former king Zahir Shah and his aides in Rome earlier this week. Zahir Shah, he added, could be an alternative in the transitional period. Germany, he said, appreciated the courageous decision taken by Pakistan following the Sept 11 terror attacks in New York and Washington.

The German minister, who had also met the heads of some international aid agencies and NGOs working in Afghanistan, said they would appeal that Afghan refugees should be allowed to enter Pakistan.

He said they fully understood Pakistan’s position but every thing should be done to provide relief to refugees to avoid human catastrophe.

In reply to a question whether Pakistan would again be forgotten as had happened after the war against Soviet Union ended, he said forgotten conflicts could become a threat to the whole world as has happened in case of Afghanistan.