ISLAMABAD, July 15: Pakistan stated on Monday that its consistent plea for demobilization of Indian troops from the border and for the revival of “serious, meaningful and purposeful” talks between the two countries had been received well by the international community.
The world community, too, had been making efforts to convince India that the path of reason and negotiations should be adopted, Foreign Office spokesman Aziz Ahmed Khan told a press briefing.
The spokesman rejected allegations of any role of Pakistan in occupied Kashmir’s violent incidents such as the one at a temple last week. He said Pakistan was open to international or the United Nations inspection to ascertain that there had been no cross-Line of Control infiltration from the Pakistan side.
He recalled numerous suggestions by the government for international and impartial inquiry into any complaints about violence or terrorist traffic across the LoC, but regretted that the Indian side was not prepared to such open inspection on its side.
In reply to a question whether the flurry of planned visits by British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, US Secretary of State Colin Powell and European Union’s representative to New Delhi and Islamabad indicated a new peace move in South Asia, the spokesman said: “It is a continuing process which has been on for a while”.
Commenting on the Indian policy of massive arms purchase from foreign countries, he said Delhi’s pursuit of arms race did not go well for the security of region as it made its neighbours restive about it.
Islamabad, he said, had been pointing out that instead of indulging in arms race, it would be better if the two nations diverted their resources to the alleviation of poverty.
The spokesman emphasized the need for the withdrawal of more than one million troops concentrated along the border and the Line of Control, pointing out that the massive deployment could even accidentally lead to tragic consequences on both sides. He warned that despite a “slight lowering in tension” the situation remained dangerous for people, and Pakistan did not want it in people’s interest.
Tension, he said, could only reduce when the troops went back to their peace-time locations, and talks were resumed to resolve all outstanding issues, including the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir. “We are grateful that the international community is making efforts to convince India that the path of reason and negotiations should be adopted,” he said.
Mr Straw would visit Islamabad and Delhi on July 19-20, whereas Mr Powell is expected on July 27-28.
