MUZAFFARABAD, March 3: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir government has expressed the hope that the new set-up in Islamabad would promote the peace process with New Delhi and make the peaceable dialogue a basis for resolution of the long running Kashmir issue in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiris.

The entreaty was made through a resolution adopted at the AJK cabinet meeting which was chaired by Prime Minister Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan.

As the meeting lasted till late on Sunday night, press briefing was arranged on Monday by the premier’s adviser on information Raja Mohammad Yasin Khan. He had to face a barrage of questions on the fate and fresh stance of the “pro-Musharraf Muslim Conference government” in AJK in the face of victory of “pro-democracy forces” in Pakistan in the February 18 elections.

While extending heartfelt felicitations on behalf of the cabinet to President Pervez Musharraf, interim Prime Minister Mohammedmian Soomro, interim provincial governments and the Election Commission of Pakistan for holding “free, fair and peaceful elections,” the adviser however made it clear that the MC had not taken any decision to support any particular political organisation in those elections, “thus giving a free hand to its leaders and workers to back up whoever they liked.”

“Our party chief (Sardar Attique) did not personally take part in the election campaign, but there were many MC leaders who supported or canvassed for their favourites, belonging to different parties including the PML-Q, PML-N and MQM,” he claimed.

He vowed their government would maintain the best working relations with the new setup in Islamabad “on the basis of principles.”

But when questioned about Sardar Attique’s philosophy of “military democracy” and PML-N’s strong opposition to army’s involvement in politics, he said: “Equilibrium between the military and the democratic forces was required as much today as it was needed yesterday.”

The adviser was however at his best in giving a clear reply to questions as to which faction of the Muslim League his party would openly side with in the changed scenario.

“MC and PML share same ideologies. As far as the extent of our association with the PML-Q is concerned, we don’t have repentance for it,” he said.

But when asked if the MC had to make a choice between Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain of PML (Q) and Mohammad Nawaz Sharif of PML (N) what would be its decision he shrewdly replied: “It will be decided whenever any such occasion arrives.”

In response to a question, the adviser praised the Kashmir policy of President Musharraf.

“The president’s policy is the best in the present circumstances. We will support and follow it,” he said without mincing words, claiming that the MC’s working committee had repeatedly endorsed the Kashmir policy of President Musharraf.

Responding to a question about PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari’s reported statement about Kashmir during a TV interview, he said the Kashmiris could not tolerate talks with India on other issues while sidestepping the core issue of Kashmir.

“Mr Zardari belongs to party whose founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had vowed to fight for Kashmir for 1000 years and whose martyred leader Benazir Bhutto also held a firm stand on the issue. If he has given any such statement, we will request him to review it,” he said.