ISLAMABAD, May 23: The government has formally invited the entire leadership of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) to travel to Pakistan on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus scheduled for June 2. “They (APHC leaders) have been extended an invitation by Pakistan government and they are welcome to visit any part of the country, Islamabad, Rawalpindi or AJK,” Foreign Office spokesman Jalil Abbas Jilani announced at his weekly news briefing on Monday.
He pointed out that on arrival in Muzaffarabad the Hurriyat leaders would be granted permission to travel to any place in Pakistan, making it clear that no visas or passports would be required. Disclosing that most of the APHC leaders had accepted the invitation, he said: “A very warm welcome awaits them.”
Mr Jilani avoided giving a direct answer when asked whether Pakistan had contacted the Indian government before extending the invitation to the APHC leaders. “Our understanding is that they (Indian government) will have no problems,” was all he said. He said the visit had been a subject of discussion between the government and the APHC leadership for a long time. “There were indications from the Indian government that it would not create any hurdles,” he said.
He denied reports that the invitation had not been extended to Mr Ali Shah Geelani and some other leaders. “The invitation has been extended to all Hurriyat leaders, including Mr Geelani who is held in high regard in Pakistan,” he emphasized.
When asked if in the spirit of promoting intra-Kashmiri dialogue Pakistan would also extend an invitation to other Kashmiri leaders like Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah, the spokesman said: “We have extended an invitation to Hurriyat leaders who we consider the true representatives of the Kashmiris.”
On reports that India was considering changes in the design of the Baglihar dam, the spokesman said the issue now rested with the neutral expert appointed by the World Bank.
“We have passed that stage when we could have discussed the issue at the bilateral level, but the best thing to do now is to cooperate with the expert and wait for the findings.”
He said the findings of the neutral expert would be binding on both parties. Mr Jilani parried a question about whether Pakistan still considered Indian opposition leader L.K. Advani a proclaimed offender for his involvement in an assassination attempt on Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. However, when pressed on with the question whether Mr Advani’s upcoming visit meant that the FIR registered against him in the case stood quashed, he snapped back: “We are not aware of the FIR, we have not seen it.”
He said Mr Advani would be visiting Pakistan at Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri’s invitation and during his stay he would also call on President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.
ROCCA’S VISIT: The spokesman said that US Assistant Secretary of State Christina Rocca would arrive in Islamabad on a three-day official visit on May 25.
He said her visit was a follow-up to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s trip to Pakistan in March and added that during talks with Ms Rocca here all important bilateral issues would be discussed.
In reply to a question, he said: “There is no link whatsoever between the visit of Ms Christina Rocca and Siachen talks that we have (to hold with India) on May 26-27.”
He underlined the need for a sustained dialogue on the two issues.
Asked if during the talks with Ms Rocca Pakistan would take up the issue of the desecration of the Holy Quran, he said: “We have already taken up this issue with the US government and have been assured by the US authorities of a proper investigation into the matter.”
The spokesman rejected the reported allegation that not all terrorist camps had been dismantled on the Pakistan side of the Line of Control. “There is no terrorism as far as IOK is concerned. It is a non-issue as far as we are concerned,” he said, adding: “The violence in Kashmir is in response to a particular situation and the massive repression by Indian security forces.”
About import of meat from India, he said Pakistan would allow import of only those items which were on the positive list.
DELEGATION TO PALESTINE: In reply to a question, the spokesman reiterated that the request for a visit to Jerusalem by a Pakistani delegation had come from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas last week.
“We will give serious consideration to the proposal because the Palestinian president said at a press conference that such a visit would strengthen their cause,” he said.
He sidestepped questions about the visa requirement for Pakistani delegates and hence the need for establishing contact with the Israeli authorities.
He disagreed with the view expressed by Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed that a visit by a Pakistani delegation to Palestine would be tantamount to recognition of Israel by Pakistan. He denied reports of US planes bombing tribal areas and killing innocent people. “No intrusion of Pakistani territory took place,” he said.
Answering a question about the US ambassador’s recent statement that Washington was interested in making investment in the Gwadar port, he said the port had already been developed with China’s assistance. However, he added, Pakistan would welcome businessmen from any country to make use of the port.
The spokesman defended Pakistan’s mission in Kuwait when his attention was drawn to the reported indifference of the embassy to the plight of some 400 Pakistani nationals who had been laid off by a company. “Pakistan’s missions abroad despite their limited resources go out of their way to help out Pakistanis,” he said
In reply to a question about the attack on Pakistan’s consulate in Jalalabad, he said the matter was still being investigated.
AFP adds: A Hurriyat leader told AFP in Srinagar that the Pakistani government’s invitation had been conveyed to them verbally.
“We will meet shortly to discuss the invitation,” said Abdul Gani Bhat of the Muslim Conference Party.
