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| May 18, 2006 | Thursday | Rabi-us-Sani 19, 1427 |
French delegation meets AJK assembly speaker
MUZAFFARABAD, May 17: A five-member French parliamentary delegation, currently here on a visit, met the speaker of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Sardar Siab Khalid, here on Wednesday.
The delegation is led by the president of France-Pakistan parliamentary friendship group, Clude Birraux.
During the meeting, the speaker told the delegation that India was yet to show flexibility to pave the way for resolving the Kashmir dispute.
The members of the delegation included Mrs Genevieve Gaillard, Jear-Luc-Reitzer, Jacques Desallangre and secretary to the delegation Mrs Brigitte Brot.
Mr Khalid said that President Pervez Musharraf had made sincere efforts towards a peaceful settlement of the core issue.
He said that trade and other relations between the two countries would be sustainable only when all outstanding issues, particularly the Kashmir issue, were resolved.
The core issue must be addressed according to the aspirations of Kashmiri people, he added.
He said that Kashmiri people’s struggle is indigenous and the Indian propaganda in this regard was baseless.
The speaker said that in the recent earthquake, the quake-hit areas of AJK were open to all and people from the international community, including the US, visited the areas and did not find any evidence of what India had been alleging.
He said the October 8 earthquake destroyed the infrastructure of Azad Kashmir and lauded assistance extended by the world community.
“We are very thankful to the French Government and people for their assistance,” he said.
Mr Birraux said that France encourages the peace initiatives taken by Pakistan which should pave the way for the solution of all issues, including Kashmir.
He said that the French Government had provided 80 million Euros for the quake-hit people and the French NGOs had also provided them with health and water supply facilities.—APP
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