30 October 2004	Saturday	15 Ramazan 1425

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

KARACHI, Oct 29: Rejecting Gen Musharraf's proposals for Kashmir, Asif Ali Zardari, the interned husband of Ms Benazir Bhutto said that it was a plan to invite foreign troops under the garb of demilitarization of the territory.

He expressed these views while talking to newsmen informally in the central prison where he had been brought in connection with a case against him. Mr Zardari said: "Kashmir is of great strategic importance not only to Pakistan, but also for the entire region and Gen Musharraf's offer to demilitarize and invite foreign troops in Kashmir in the grab of United Nations Peace Keeping Force was a well thought out American plan to entrench themselves physically in the area".

He was of the view that plebiscite was the only solution of Kashmir issue which had been accepted by the United Nations. Asif Zardari emphasized that Musharraf's plan reflected his own thinking or perhaps the opinion of a few hundred army officers and not the decision of the parliament. He declared that his party would never accept any such proposal.

The PPP, he said, that believed in peaceful solution of Kashmir issue had always lent political and moral support to the just struggle of the people of Kashmir. He claimed that Gen Musharraf had unfolded the Kashmir plan to divert attention from real problem being faced by the people.

He termed it a "sell out plan" and said that the people of Pakistan and Kashmir were justified in rejecting it because it also ignored the right of self-determination of Kashmiri people.

He also laughed off the reports about him becoming PPP chairman and then prime minister under a secret deal with the government. "This is the usual disinformation that I strongly reject," said Asif Zardari and made it clear that despite going through almost eight years of detention and torture he would not seek freedom through underhand deals.

He said that the PPP was a major political party of the country and it would take decision openly about everything, in the interest of the people. He also dispelled the impression that he would go abroad after bail in the last case and declared that he would remain in the country and actively participate in politics.

Asif Zardari declared that party leadership was the right of Benazir Bhutto, as she had sacrificed a lot and was compelled to go into exile. Her father and two brothers were killed and her husband was in jail. No other leader of the party had sacrificed like her, he said.

He reiterated his contention that present rulers would become history and assemblies would be dissolved very soon. He claimed that elections would be organized not by Gen Musharraf but by someone else and the PPP would emerge victorious.

Mr Zardari said that political scenario and performance of the rulers and the ruling party indicated that assemblies would not survive. He said Gen Musharraf replaced three prime ministers in the last two years while members of the treasury benches were no more interested in attending the assembly session.

Commenting on the remarks of Information Minister Shaikh Rashid, the PPP leader said that the dissolution of assemblies would definitely be in the interest of the nation, as the members of the graduate assembly had proved that they were not capable of fulfilling their responsibilities.