January 15, 2002	Tuesday	Shawwal 30, 1422

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MUZAFFARABAD, Jan 14: A former Japanese prime minister expressed serious concern over the prevailing tension in South Asia due to massive troop build-up by India and Pakistan along their borders, and called upon both countries to resolve their issues through talks.

“The prevailing tension is posing threat to the peace and stability of the whole region. Both sides should avoid it and resolve all of their pending issues, including Kashmir, through political process and bilateral talks”, said Tsutomo Hata, parliamentarian and leader of the Japanese Political Democratic Party, at a meeting with AJK Prime Minister Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan here on Sunday.

According to a handout, issued here by the AJK government on Monday, Mr Hata visited the AJK capital as the head of a nine-member delegation, which included members of the Japanese Political Diplomatic Party and the officials of the embassy of Japan in Islamabad.

Mr Hata said he had welcomed last year’s summit between President Gen Pervez Musharraf and the Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpaee in Agra and had also appreciated the recent peace initiative of President Musharraf in Katmandu.