09 January 2004	Friday	16 Ziqa'ad 1424

LAHORE, Jan 8: The PML-N says Nawaz Sharif had laid the basis for Pakistan-India peace talks in the Lahore Declaration in which Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee had for the first time accepted the two-nation theory and Kashmir as a disputed land.

Speaking at a joint press conference here on Thursday, Punjab president Zulfikar Khosa and secretary-general Saad Rafiq alleged the incumbent government had accepted Kashmiri freedom fighters as terrorists in the Saarc conference, taking a U-turn from the national stance on the issue.

They said the government had claimed that there would be no secret deal on Kashmir and all decisions would be taken keeping in view the people's wishes, but the talks on Kashmir were being kept secret even four days after the Saarc leaders left Islamabad. "Even the National Assembly and Senate are in the dark about the talks," they said.

Saad Rafiq recalled that while taking a U-turn on Afghan policy, the rulers had promised with the nation that the US would extend its support for Kashmir cause. "But, today the rulers have joined hands with their Indian counterparts in declaring freedom fighters terrorists."

He regretted that seeing the "cowardness" of the rulers, US secretary of state Colin Powell had dared to call Pakistani scientists rogue. He demanded that before endorsing the additional protocol on terrorism, all clauses of the agreement be presented in parliament and the Kashmir policy be discussed there before initiating peace talks with India in February.

The PML-N leaders chided the MMA for what they said cooperating with the government make the LFO part of the Constitution and giving vote of confidence to Gen Musharraf who, they alleged, had surrendered to the US on Afghan and nuclear assets' issues. They demanded that Prime Minister Jamali should give a policy statement on Kashmir freedom movement, Mujahideen and define terrorism.