05 November 2004	Friday	21 Ramazan 1425

KARACHI, Nov 4: Major General Shaukat Sultan, the Director General of Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), has said that work to set up new army cantonments in Balochistan has not yet started.

Talking to editors and senior journalists at an Iftar-dinner here on Thursday, he said a decision in this connection would be taken at an appropriate time. He said there was a need to set up army cantonments in Balochistan.

Answering a question, he said there was no pressure on Pakistan in the past nor would it be in future. All decisions are taken in national interest."

He said Pakistan's security forces had full control in the Wana tribal area in South Waziristan after the operation against extremist elements, except for a small pocket where civilians live. From this area, extremists launch attack and lay roadmines. He said that in one such blast on Thursday, six soldiers embraced martyrdom while 10 were injured.

Gen Sultan made it clear that President General Pervez Musharraf had neither given any proposal or option nor made any decision in respect of the resolution of the Kashmir issue.

He said that President Musharraf had basically pointed out the seven geographic regions of Kashmir and suggested that there were a few parameters within which the options needed to be worked out.

General Shaukat stated that President Musharraf had given three parameters in this respect within which more than a dozen options could come.

He said that the president had asked that options should be worked out and an objective debate be carried out in the country to help the government in developing a consensus on an option most favoured in the country.

He said that President Musharraf had made it very clear that Pakistan wanted the Kashmir issue to be resolved as per the United Nations Security Council resolutions, that is plebiscite.

But unfortunately this has not worked in the past over 50 years. India wanted the Line of Control to be declared permanent border which had also not worked, he added.

Gen Sultan was of the view that in order to resolve the Kashmir issue both the countries would have to show flexibility in their respective positions and then find a solution which was acceptable to Pakistan, India and the Kashmiris.

He made it clear that Pakistan would show flexibility once India also did so. Both the countries would have to show flexibility and move from their respective stated positions and meet somewhere midway.

He stated that if both the countries stuck to their respective positions it could not be resolved so both India and Pakistan would have to show flexibility and "that is how we would move towards its resolution".

General Sultan also said that the issue could not be resolved without taking into consideration the aspirations and wishes of the Kashmiris and that Pakistan and India were clear about that.

Replying to another question, the ISPR Chief said that the fencing of the Line of Control by India had no military significance and did not give them any kind of military advantage.

To yet another question, he said that the United States was positively engaged in bringing down tension between Pakistan and India and had played a positive role.-PPI/APP