ISLAMABAD, Jan 9: Pakistan on Monday made it clear that there would be no unilateral demilitarization of Jammu and Kashmir and expressed the hope that India would show flexibility on the issue.
“Let me put it on record that there will be no unilateral demilitarization,” Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam categorically stated while responding to questions at a weekly news briefing here.
She said Pakistan’s proposal of demilitarization was meant for both Jammu and Kashmir.
On the Indian Ministry of External Affair’s (MEA) negative response to President Musharraf’s proposals of demilitarization and self-governance in Kashmir, Ms Aslam said: “We do not want to get into the controversy over these ideas,” underlining that what the president had stated was clear.
SHE ADDED: “These ideas are in the spirit of the peace process for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute and these are motivated by the desire to seek a settlement in the interest of Pakistan, India and people of Kashmir.”
The FO spokesperson asserted that the validity of these ideas, which were being “enthusiastically discussed” by the people of Kashmir, lay not in what the MEA had to say but how the Kashmiris and the leadership had responded to these ideas.
FS TALKS: She said the forthcoming foreign secretary level talks in India would initiate the third round of composite dialogue. She underscored that it was an integral part of the peace process between Pakistan and India to resolve all outstanding issues, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
“We would also have a better idea about what this process can achieve after we have had this meeting,” she observed.
When her comments were sought on the MEA spokesman’s statement that President Musharraf’s allegation that India was behind the present unrest in Balochistan was “utterly baseless”, she said: “What the president of Pakistan has said and what the government of Pakistan earlier said about Indian interference and involvement in our internal affairs in Balochistan is very clear. I need not add anything to that.”
When asked if Pakistan planned to share the evidence with the Indian government about India’s involvement in Balochistan, the spokesperson’s measured response was: “At the moment we are processing the information we have and a decision about sharing this evidence with India and others will be taken later.” However, she did not specify who the “others” were.
She declined to respond to a question about whether there could be an American conspiracy behind the situation in Balochistan, saying: “I am not into the business of speculation and conspiracy theories. We go by hard evidence.”
PEACE PROCESS: The FO spokesperson maintained that even though progress in the composite dialogue process was slow and disappointing it was not “all bleak” on the India-Pakistan front.
She disagreed with a view that the president’s expressed disappointment in a recent interview about the Indo-Pakistan peace process was an admission of the failure of the foreign policy. “I think you are reading too much into that. There is no foreign policy failure here,” she told a questioner.
Answering another question about the peace process she said: “There may be disappointment but there is no despair, I assure you.” She was quick to point to the fact that the countries were about to engage in the next round of the composite dialogue process. On a more optimistic note she said: “We hope that there will be flexibility and it will take this process further.”
Responding to a question, the spokesperson clarified that the Foreign Office had not made any statement about the Indian prime minister visiting Pakistan during the cricket series. She pointed out that President Musharraf in a recent interview was asked a specific question if he was going to invite the Indian prime minister to come and visit one of the ODIs and the president’s response was that he was willing to invite the Indian prime minister. However, quoting the president, she underlined that he had “made it clear that he wanted to see the peace process move forward as we did not believe in wasting our time”.
Dismissing Indian allegations about cross-border terrorism, the spokesperson declared: “Certainly there is no infiltration.” In a dig at the Indian establishment she observed: “There is some confusion because one day you have statements from half of the Indian establishment that infiltration is no more, things are under control, while the other half is saying infiltration has increased.”
CONSULATES: On the re-opening of Pakistani and Indian consulates in Mumbai and Karachi, Ms Aslam dispelled the impression that Pakistan was responsible for the delay. She said the delay had been caused from the Indian side, pointing to the last-minute backing out of the deal by the owner of the property identified by Pakistan.
“We are very keen to make our consulate general operational,” Ms Aslam said, adding that Pakistan had already requested the Indian government to help resolve the issue.
CIVIL N-TECH: The spokesperson was non-committal on the question of whether Pakistan had received positive signals from the US or any Western country on its call for cooperation on the civilian nuclear technology. Her response was: “We have ongoing cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear technology and we are talking to a number of countries in this regard.” Without naming any country she added: “We do hope that the developed countries would respond to our interest in enhancing that cooperation.”
To a related question, Ms Aslam said: “We have our energy requirements, our economy is growing and we are interested in acquiring civilian nuclear technology and nuclear power plants for safe energy which would be under IAEA safeguards.” On the question of energy exemption for India by the Nuclear Supplier Group she said: “We would like that this exemption is also extended to Pakistan.” Regarding Pakistan-US deal on the F-16 aircraft, Ms Aslam said: “The deal is intact but their acquisition and purchase has been delayed.”
GAZA VISIT: The FO spokesperson clarified that there was no Pakistani delegation going to Israel and added that a visit to Gaza was being planned on the invitation of Palestinian president.
She said the Gaza visit was “in the works” and Pakistan was in touch with the Palestinian Authority in this regard. She said once the dates and composition of the delegation were finalized they would be announced.