ISLAMABAD, Nov 2: President Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh have expressed their resolve to continue with the peace process, foreign office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam told the weekly press briefing here on Wednesday.
She said when the president telephoned on Monday to offer condolences to the Indian premier over the Delhi blasts and the train accident, Mr Manmohan indicated that preliminary investigations into the explosions showed a possibility of some links to elements in Pakistan.
The president, she added, had assured the Indian prime minister of full cooperation, saying that an action would be taken if any evidence was shared with Pakistan.
Answering a question, she said: “We do expect that the Government of India will share the evidence, if there is any, of involvement of elements in Pakistan.”
DEMILITARISATION: In reply to a question on the demilitarisation of the entire Kashmir region, as advocated by President Musharraf, Tasnim Aslam said: “If India is agreeable to the idea, there can be further discussions, as some groundwork needs to be done.”
She highlighted a positive aspect to Indian External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh’s reported statement that there would be no unilateral demilitarisation. If India would consider it, if done on both sides, it conveyed that India would essentially consider it, said.
Spokesperson Aslam avoided giving a direct response to a question regarding Mr Natwar Singh’s claim to the Azad Kashmir. “Well, we also have to look at the positive developments,” she said, quickly pointing to a recent agreement between Pakistan and India to open the Line of Control (LoC).
LOC OPENING: Commenting on the LoC agreement, the spokesperson said: “We believe this is a big step for Kashmiris and it will make things easier for them.” However, when a questioner drew her attention to the cumbersome procedures involved, the spokesperson told that Pakistan had proposed a simpler procedure.
Asked why it had taken Pakistan and India so long after the Oct 8 earthquake to open the LoC, Ms Aslam said: “We could not focus on the LoC in the first week given the unprecedented magnitude of the catastrophe.”
In reply to another question, she said the measure was meant purely to provide facility to Kashmiris and provide them comfort, particularly in such hard times.
Answering a question, she said that exactly the same mechanism being used for the Muzafarabad-Srinagar bus service would be applicable for the five new crossings at the border.
After the news briefing, when a reporter asked the spokesperson if she could guarantee that the LoC would be opened on the given date, she said: “The time given by the two governments is Nov 7 and if people are ready to travel on that day and they are able to complete their formalities, they will travel on that.”
However, she hastened to add: “I can’t guarantee it.”
RELIEF ASSISTANCE: The spokesperson said there was a big gap between pledges of $580 million made to the UN by the international community for relief assistance and their actual transfer. Terming the actual transfers very slow, she said it was a cause of great concern among the relief agencies who were repeatedly issuing warnings that time was running out.
Asked in terms of percentage how much of the total financial pledges had been released, the spokesperson said the UN would be in a better position to respond to the question.
On the bilateral track release of pledges was faster, said the spokesperson.
She dispelled the impression that an attempt was being made to project relief assistance extended by certain countries, particularly the United States, and enormous help by Muslim countries was not being acknowledged as much.
Urging the media not to draw comparisons, the spokesperson told a questioner that President Musharraf had mentioned the US assistance during his press conference in the context of it being the single largest contributor to earthquake relief efforts.
The US Chinook helicopters that arrived in the initial days of the earthquake had indeed been instrumental in saving many lives, she said.
From the Muslim countries, the spokesperson said, Pakistan in any case had high expectations. She specially mentioned the immense and valuable contributions made by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
The spokesperson said that at present, 300 Cuban doctors and paramedics were in Pakistan providing medical aid to earthquake victims.
They are doing a tremendous job, she added.
NATO: Referring to concerns being expressed by some quarters about the arrival of Nato forces in Pakistan, Ms Aslam underscored that it was dispatching only medical and engineering teams. They, she said, would carry out specific tasks of relief and reconstruction.
Answering a question, she said that under the agreement being negotiated, the timeline for Nato’s presence in Pakistan would be three months.
It would not be for long time, initially it would be for three months, the spokesperson said. However, she did not rule out the possibility of extension in the stay.
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