Archives

ISLAMABAD, Friday (AFP) Pakistani Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali said that he believed Indian leader Atal Behari Vajpayee was serious and sincere about forging peaceful ties between the rival nuclear neighbours.

Vajpayee provided an opening by offering a "hand of friendship" and Pakistan picked up the "impetus" to end the 17-month deadlock, Jamali said in an interview with the BBC.

"I felt so and I think so," he said when asked if he considered the Indian premier's offer serious and sincere.

"He is serious that peace should come in and both countries should develop people-to-people contacts," Jamali added.

Vajpayee, during a visit to the Indian side of the disputed Kashmir state, on April 18 surprised political observers by offering dialogue with Pakistan for peace in the region. Later addressing Indian parliament he announced that India would reappoint a high commissioner to Pakistan and restore aviation links.

India suspended the links after a deadly attack on its parliament in December 2001, which despite Islamabad's denial New Delhi blamed on Pakistan-backed Muslim militants.

"This was the deadlock which of course, I inherited as a government," Jamali said, adding that he grabbed the opportunity offered by Vajpayee to end the impasse.

"I think in my assessment it was an appropriate time when Mr. Vajpayee went to Srinagar and gave his public statement," said Jamali who 10 days later made a breakthrough call to the Indian prime minister. "I think that was, in my assessment, a rare opening and his address to (Indian) parliament was more encouraging. "So we also picked up the impetus to talk to him and we picked up the phone, talked to Mr. Vajpayee.

It was cordial, positive," he said.

Jamali stressed that the mutually hostile neighbours, who have fought two wars over Kashmir, which is claimed by both, should open dialogue to resolve the outstanding issues.

"I feel that it would be a gesture, a part in our lives which might take us into a good end of history. That is how I see it at the moment."

Diplomatic activities gained momentum after Jamali's telephone call as the two countries have announced a resumption of air links and India Tuesday appointed a new ambassador to Pakistan.

The countries were yet to give a date for resumption of talks and Jamali suggested a step-by-step approach towards normalization. "It has to be a step-by-step measure that has to be taken," Jamali said, according to the text of the interview provided by the BBC here.

He said Pakistan was ready for talks at "any level" but cautioned against hardliners on both sides who may want to derail the nascent peace process.

"The unfortunate part is having some of the hawks on both sides, of course more in India than Pakistan," he said.

"I think a few gestures and acts have to be made so that we can get to a consensus at a level where we could take proper and appropriate decisions."

He denied Indian assertions that Pakistan encouraged the militants fighting in Indian Kashmir. "We have always discouraged it. Now if there are the indigenous people who keep on fighting for their rights and freedom that's a different issue," he said. "There are people, there are volunteers ... at times you just try to talk to people to put some sense into them. But they are not bound by Pakistan, you see. This is the whole point."

He also pointed out the difficulties in plugging the 767-kilometer (476 mile) dividing Line of Control in Kashmir.

"It is a very porous line," he said.

"No country is in a position to seal off the border all together. With the might that India has, they can't seal it off, how can we in Pakistan at a lesser level seal it."

www.crescat.com

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