September 5, 2002	Thursday	Jamadi-us-Saani26,1423

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 4: Pakistan Kashmir Committee’s latest attempt to engage with the Indian leadership has failed to yield desired results as New Delhi continues to harden its stance.

Chairman Kashmir Committee (KC) Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan said on Wednesday he had lost hope of establishing contact with New Delhi after the Indian government’s reluctance to receive Ajmal Khattak as a KC delegate.

“Given the hardening of positions on both sides it seems unlikely that a dialogue between the KC and Indian leadership would start before the elections in the Indian-Held Kashmir,” said Sardar Qayyum when contacted by Dawn.

Pointing to the mounting tension between the two nuclear-armed rivals he warned of a “full-scale retaliation” in case of any adventurism by India.

Sardar Qayyum told Dawn that he had not been approached by any member of the recently-formed Indian Kashmir Committee so far.

He ruled out the possibility of inviting representatives of the Indian Kashmir Committee to Pakistan. “New Delhi must respond positively to our initiative before we extend such an invitation,” emphasised chairman KC.

Sardar Abdul Qayyum told a senior US official Lisa Curtis just last week that KC had decided to send its representative Ajmal Khattak to meet with Indian leaders.

Ms Curtis, special advisor to the US Assistant Secretary of State, Christina Rocca, held talks with Sardar Qayyum here on Saturday. Earlier, she held meetings with Kashmiri leaders in Srinagar to assess the situation on ground.

The Kashmir Committee had earlier in the year agreed in principle to send a four-member delegation, headed by Ajmal Khattak, to New Delhi. The committee was also given the go-ahead by President Gen Pervez Musharraf.

However, the committee’s request for meetings with the Indian leaders was turned down by New Delhi. The chairman KC was informed by the ministry of foreign affairs that New Delhi had refused point-blank to receive the proposed delegation.