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BERLIN, July 1: President Gen Pervez Musharraf said on Tuesday that Germany had decided to lift sanctions on the sale of military equipment to Pakistan, and Berlin would supply spare parts of the radar system to Pakistan Air Force.
“It is a matter of great delight that the ban imposed by Germany on the sale of military spare parts to Pakistan has been lifted,” he told reporters here on Tuesday.
“We will get spare parts of the radar system for Pakistan Air Force,” he said in response to a question.
In reply to a question about thaw in Pakistan-India relations, the president said Germany considered it as a positive development. He said he told German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder that Pakistan had taken all possible steps and now the “ball is in India’s court”.
Gen Musharraf said he also briefed Mr Schroeder on the violation of human rights in occupied Kashmir. He also pointed out to the German Chancellor that there was a lot of talk about “cross-border terrorism” but nobody referred to human rights abuses in held Kashmir.
To a question, he said it was very difficult to tell how much Germany could be involved in mediation or facilitation to find a peaceful solution to the Kashmir issue.
President Musharraf said he explained to Chancellor Schroeder Pakistan’s point of view on all the international issues.
GERMAN FM: German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said on Tuesday the world attached great importance to Pakistan-India relations as the two countries had a complicated dispute over Kashmir.
“Pakistan-India relationship is important for peace and stability in the region,” he said after his meeting with President Pervez Musharraf.
Mr Fischer described his hour-long talks with President Musharraf as “intensive, open, good and fruitful.”
According to the German foreign minister, the meeting focused on the regional security issues, including Pakistan-India relations and the “complicated situation in Afghanistan.”
On Afghanistan, the German foreign minister said he listened to Pakistan’s position on the issue.
“I think it is interesting for us to listen to Pakistan’s position,” he said.
In reply to a question, Mr Fischer said the situation in Afghanistan remained “very complicated.”
However, he said, it was too early to have a more precise position on the situation at the moment.
According to German officials, the meeting expressed concern about security in Afghanistan and called for it to be improved.
The two leaders said it was “necessary to improve the situation” in terms of security, sources close to their delegations said.
President Musharraf will travel to Paris on Wednesday for talks with French leaders.
HR VIOLATIONS: President Pervez Musharraf said on Tuesday Pakistan had done whatever it could on so-called cross-border terrorism and urged the world powers to focus now on the human rights violations in occupied Kashmir.
“We have done whatever we could do (on cross-border terrorism) and now the world should notice and address the gross human rights violations being committed by the Indian forces in occupied Kashmir,” he told members of the German Foreign Affairs Committee about the security situation in South Asia.
He said Pakistan desired peace in the region and wanted to resolve the Kashmir dispute and other issues with India in a peaceful manner.
He told the committee that an overwhelming majority of Pakistanis were for a progressive, enlightened and dynamic Islamic Pakistan as envisioned by the founding fathers and digression from this vision would not be allowed.
The president said democracy would be allowed to function in the NWFP but there was no question of Talibanization.
Chairman and the members of the committee appreciated the bold and courageous leadership of President Musharraf for choosing the path Pakistan had been following under his leadership.—AFP / APP
