July 21, 2003	Monday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 20, 1424

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NEW DELHI, July 20: Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said on Sunday that he would attend the Saarc summit in Islamabad in January and that he wanted bilateral talks with Pakistan also not to be pointlessly delayed, JUI chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman told Dawn after meeting him.

“I urged Mr Vajpayee to take the next bold step after initiating the fresh peace moves. ‘I look forward to attending the Saarc summit, Inshallah,’ he (Mr Vajpayee) said,” Maulana Fazl said, stressing that ‘Inshallah’ was his addition to the remarks.

The JUI leader sounded cautious with the details of his talks as he spoke on the phone on his way from the prime minister’s heavily guarded residence at 7 Race Course Road. He said he had been badly misreported during his tour of India, which ends on Monday.

“We have tried to sort out our differences by war. It did not solve the problems,” Mr Vajpayee told Maulana Fazl and his delegation of three members from the JUI and two Indian representatives of Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind, the hosts. “We can change friends, we cannot change neighbours,” the Indian premier reiterated, the JUI leader added.

Asked to give some more details of his meeting with Mr Vajpayee, which lasted more than an hour, Maulana Fazl asked: “Why do you want to know? Why should everything about our talks be printed in newspapers?”

Nevertheless, he gave a few glimpses of the meeting that should make for an interesting contrast with the visit by Pakistani parliamentarians recently when they were effectively boycotted by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the official media.

“I asked Mr Vajpayee to take more bold steps. He said he wanted the bilateral issues to be thoroughly discussed by the foreign secretaries of the two sides. He said only after the homework was carried out thoroughly should the next bilateral summit take place,” Maulana Fazl said, quoting the Indian prime minister.

“With detailed homework, we can avoid the frustrations of the past in dealing with the issues between us. But there should not be any unnecessary delay in organizing all these things for better ties,” Mr Vajpayee suggested.

Asked what he considered to be the most important outcome of his meeting, the JUI chief said: “Undoubtedly it was the promise that Mr Vajpayee will visit Islamabad for the Saarc summit.”

Maulana Fazlur Rehman accused the Indian media of trying to undermine the purpose of his visit.

“I have seen some newspapers’ reports about my visit. The media seems suspicious about my motives. They are questioning how a (Pakistani) religious organisation is talking of peace with India,” he was quoted by a news agency as saying.

“I have not come through the back door. I have come here by invitation. Ours may be a religious party but it believes in democracy. I have been to jail many times. We believe in sorting out matters through discussions,” he said, according to the report.

“I am convinced that no solution to the disputes between India and Pakistan can be found under media glare. We would have to meet in private and discuss the issues,” he said.

Soon after saying that the Simla Agreement could be the basis of talks between India and Pakistan, Maulana Fazl went a step further, news agencies said, quoting from a subsequent public meeting.

“Why stick to Simla agreement? Why not go beyond it? We had made a beginning at Lahore and continued the efforts in Agra. Now, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has made an offer of peace,” he reportedly argued.

KASHMIR: He added: “I want the two countries to choose dialogue as the only option to solve the issues,” adds AFP.

Maulana Fazl brushed off reporters’ queries on India’s allegation that Pakistan backs Muslim militants in Indian Kashmir, and said: “These are the issues which need to be solved at the negotiation table.”

Pakistan denies India’s charges of backing the militant groups, but says it gives them diplomatic and moral support.