05 June 2004	Saturday	16 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

ISLAMABAD, June 4: President General Pervez Musharraf has described the new Indian leadership's response to the peace process as positive, expressing the hope that two South Asian nations would move towards resolution of all outstanding issues including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.

In an interview with with a private TV channel, telecast on Friday, the President said the Islamabad Declaration, reached during the Saarc Summit in January, is an agreement between two nations.

President Musharraf told interviewer Syed Talat Hussain that he had spoken to Congress party leader Sonia Gandhi, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former Prime Minister Vajpayee and found them to be positive about the peace process.

"All three of them (have been) extremely positive about the peace process, they have showed their willingness to advance the peace process, resolve all issues and create a peaceful environment," said President Musharraf.

Kashmir, he said, is the jugular vein of Pakistan. However, he said, a pragmatic approach has to be adopted for resolution of the lingering Kashmir dispute. "Neither can they (India) take our part of Kashmir by force nor can we take their part of Kashmir by force, both countries realize this - if we (Pakistan and India) stick to our respective positions, the (Kashmir) issue can never be resolved.

Therefore, we have to move towards a compromise solution of the issue," he maintained. The President said the dispute would be resolved in accordance with the wishes of the nation and the Kashmiri people.

"I will take the people of Pakistan and the Kashmiris along. I will never rest in my grave if I take a decision on my own." Continuing the President said the 21st Century is the century of geo-economics and, therefore, the emphasis is on the resolution of disputes.

On Pakistan's fight against terrorism and the situation in Wana, the President said "it should be very clear in everyone's mind that we have to eliminate all (Al Qaeda) foreigners from Pakistan, mainly the tribal belt, Wana in South Waziristan."

He told the TV channel that the elimination of Al Qaeda from Pakistan is the popular demand of the nation and the military is very clear about this objective. "The government has both the military and political channels available to it to tackle the problem. We have to articulate both, with no change in the objective," President Musharraf said.

He said Pakistani forces took military action and removed the base of Al Qaeda terrorists in the tribal area. He said after that, the government also adopted the political channel. He said barriers and more than 100 checks posts have been put in place in tribal areas to keep a strict check on the movement of extremists.

The President said the non-implementation of a decision by the jirga is a very serious issue. "We have to move forward, if this fails, there is no doubt in my mind that military (intervention) is the answer - how the military will use its force? Leave that to the military," the President said. However, the government is trying to achieve results with the minimum use of force, he added.

Replying to a question about the assassination attempts against him late last year, President Musharraf said "not a single officer of the Armed Forces was involved in these incidents."

He said in the attack on the bridge a few air force personnel of sepoy rank were involved in the execution, but the planners and suppliers were all civilians. While in the suicide attacks via (car-bomb) vehicles all those involved were civilians, but four or five armymen of sepoy rank abetted in the incident, he added.

"Not a single officer of the 500,000 strong armed forces, having 25,000 officers, was involved in these attempts - only a few sepoy rank persons were involved, it is not a matter of disturbance - it is not as if the entire army is involved."

He regretted that some misperceptions were created on the matter. Continuing about the reality of Pakistan, he said the country is facing a host of issues including sectarian, political and the terrorist problems.

He also referred to the situation in Wana, relations with India, confidence building measures, the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, internal religious dimensions, honour killings and the talk of the hudood and blasphemy laws.

"On top of all these is the challenge of taking forward the economy. I don't think any other country of the world is facing the complexity of the issues, as Pakistan today is." Replying to a follow-up question on the issue, the President said the nation needs unity and consonance of views at this point of time to move forward with boldness and determination. -APP