Archives

KARACHI, Dec 26 (AFP) - Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf will attend a regional summit in Kathmandu from January 4 to 6 despite high tensions with India, an official said Wednesday.

"He is going to Kathmandu for the SAARC summit as per schedule and there is no change in his programme," secretary for information Anwar Mahmood told AFP.

Mahmood downplayed the prospect of talks at the summit between Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.

"A meeting can take place when there is a mutual desire," he said, adding that Pakistan is ready for talks.

This year's SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) meeting is being held amid growing tension between India and Pakistan after the attack on the Indian parliament on December 13.

The two nuclear-armed rivals have been massing troops on their borders.

India accuses Pakistan military intelligence of masterminding the attack.

It demands that Islamabad act against two Kashmiri militant groups blamed for mounting the raid by curbing their activities, freezing their assets and arresting their leaders.

Pakistan has already frozen the assets of the Lashkar-e-Taiba militant outfit and on Tuesday said it had arrested the head of the Jaish-e-Mohammad militant group, Maulana Masood Azhar.

Musharraf said Tuesday that the army was prepared to face all challenges.

He added: "We will have to step very cautiously ... as we are a responsible state of 140 million people with nuclear capabilities."

Mahmood said India was responsible for heightening tensions and could ease them if it wanted.

"Pakistan never runs away from dialogue and we are always ready for talks, but the desire has to be mutual," he added.

The two leaders have not met since a July summit in the Indian city of Agra that ended in deadlock because of the dispute over Kashmir, a Himalayan region divided between the two countries and claimed by both.

SAARC was formed in 1985 and groups India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Bhutan. 

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager