NEW DELHI, Jan 21: President Pervez Musharraf is committed to ushering a modern Islamic state in Pakistan which seeks to build an abiding friendship with India, a quest nurtured by the Quaid-i-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah himself, Islamabad’s envoy in New Delhi Ashraf Jehangir Qazi said on Monday.

Speaking at a seminar in New Delhi which was also addressed by Indian External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh, Qazi lauded Gen Musharraf’s speech of Jan 12 as major turning point in the history of his country, adding that that would inevitably have a salutary impact on ties with India.

“These measures are aimed at bringing about a revolution in Pakistan but effects will be felt in India too, and we hope India takes note of the actions on the ground,” Qazi said adding these steps would help Pakistan realize Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s vision of friendly ties with India.

He said the two countries were “on the brink of a historic opportunity” and this “huge opportunity should not be wasted”.

Addressing the India Today Conclave on a range of socio-political issues facing the region, Qazi said he favoured resumption of “self-sustained” dialogue between the neighbours and said “it is important for India and Pakistan to address each other’s concerns.”

He told Indian leaders: “Take your time but don’t question our sincerity.”

Jaswant Singh, speaking in a separate session later, said Qazi’s remarks would be more welcome if there was action on the ground.

“It (the speech) has not yet translated itself on the ground. It is not even 10 days since the shift of policy has taken place.” He then added ironically: “It is not known how long it takes for a military dictator to reform society. In a democratic country, it would take two or three governments” to accomplish the kind of sweeping reforms outlined in Gen Musharraf’s speech, he added.

The agenda for the pre-lunch session was “Can India and Pakistan ever be friends?” At the outset, Qazi suggested it would be more appropriate if the session were to take up the question “Can India and Pakistan afford to be foes?”

He said the survival instinct of both the countries makes it imperative that the two enter into a sustained and open-minded dialogue and that a wonderful opportunity has presented itself to do so.

However the high commissioner reaffirmed Pakistan’s view of Kashmir as the core issue, saying UN resolutions should implemented and India must check “human rights violation” in the state.

“Our stand on Kashmir will not change,” Qazi said, “You cannot allow Kashmir to fester.”

Therefore it was necessary “to make progress towards resolving the issue, although it may take some time,” he said.

Qazi stressed that far from delivering his landmark speech under any Indian or American duress, it reflected the continuation of an agenda to modernize Pakistan. For example, Qazi said Gen Musharraf has been acting against the extremists, and the Sept 11 events only helped accelerate the process.

Suggesting the way forward, Qazi said dialogue could follow confidence building measures and both sides should agree on a nuclear risk reduction strategy. He felt that Agra had been a useful exercise.

Qazi’s co-panelist, former foreign secretary J.N. Dixit however felt the chances of India and Pakistan having friendly relationships in the near future were not easy to foresee.

“Let us be realistic. It will be more than enough if the two countries can maintain peaceful coexistence for some duration. Friendship can come later.”