November 30, 2001	Friday	Ramazan 14, 1422

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PESHAWAR, Nov 29: NWFP former chief minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao has expressed surprise at the statement of former prime minister and PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto about Kashmir during her visit to India.

In a statement, issued from London on Wednesday, he renounced Ms Bhutto’s statement that called for bypassing the Kashmir issue to improve ties between India and Pakistan.

Mr Sherpao said Kashmir was the core issue and remained the stumbling-block to the relations between the two countries. Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir, he added, was based on principles and the former primer minister’s statement to bypass the issue would damage the Kashmir cause.

He maintained that the statement was in total disregard of the policy of the Pakistan People’s Party, besides being against the country’s national interests.

The party’s foundation document passed at the Lahore Convention had given a clear policy on Kashmir, he said and added that it was distressing that Ms Bhutto had deviated, like in other matters, from the party line.

He was of the view that the Kashmiri people and the All Parties Hurriat Conference should be allowed to address the issue. The Kashmiris, he said, had been struggling for their right to self-determination and Pakistan could not leave them alone.

The PPP leader questioned the timing and the venue of the issuance of the statement by PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto at a time when the country was passing through a critical phase owing to the Afghan issue.

He called upon the political parties to adopt a united stand and help steer the country out of its crises.

Mr Sherpao said Kashmir was an unfinished agenda of the partition.