Pioneer News Service/New Delhi
The Pioneer
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TitlJ&K ours, will remain so: Jaswant Singh Author: Pioneer News Service/New Delhi Publication: The Pioneer DatJuly 13, 2001 India adroitly rejected Pakistan's view that Kashmir was the beginning and end of Indo-Pak engagement and firmly underlined that New Delhi will seek to explore a much wider canvas during the Vajpayee-Musharraf summit in Agra. After a week-long barrage of tough Kashmir-centric rhetoric from Pakistan, External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh made it clear that while Pakistan President Gen Pervez Musharraf could not see beyond Kashmir, for India the issue was Jammu and Kashmir as a whole. Mr Singh also rejected Pakistan's demand for a plebiscite in Kashmir alongwith the contention that the issue is the core dispute between India and Pakistan. "Jammu and Kashmir is not the core issue," the Minister said at a Press conference. "It is at the core of Indian nationhood. India cannot subscribe to denominational nationhood. We believe in civic nationhood," he added. Responding to a question on Pakistan's demand for a referendum in Kashmir, the Minister said, "The question of referendum simply does not arise." He emphasized that the issue related not just to the Kashmir Valley but the entire State - Jammu, Ladakh and the northern areas illegally ceded by Pakistan to China. Mr Singh reiterated that the state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India, as laid down in the Constitution. "The Constitution is non-negotiable," the Minister said. On Pakistan's reference to the UN Resolution, Mr Singh said, "Jammu and Kashmir is not a cause, it's a consequence." He recalled that it was India which took the Kashmir issue to the UN first. "But Pakistan converted it into a bilateral issue. The UN Resolution provides for a ceasefire, followed by a period of truce, and thereafter plebiscite. Because the first two were never fulfilled, the third could never be fulfilled," Mr Singh said. Taking the contention to Pakistan's court, the Minister said, "If Pakistan wants to discuss Jammu and Kashmir, then cross-border terrorism is very much an issue there," the Minister said, implying that India would turn the heat on Pakistan over the issue during the summit. "They say it (Kashmir) is the only issue. We think there are several issues," Mr Singh said, adding, "On several earlier occasions India has not fought shy of talking about Kashmir. This time too we will not fight shy." On cross-border terrorism, Mr Singh said it was unambiguously a major concern for India and that this would be reiterated at the summit. "Cross-border terrorism is very much an issue and is a continuing concern. We will continue to combat terrorism and it is our expectation that Pakistan will recognise it. But if it doesn't, we have no reason to discontinue our efforts." Categorically ruling out Pakistan's interference in the Valley, Mr Singh said, "The Valley alone is not Kashmir. There is problem in the Srinagar Valley but that is being internally addressed by our interlocutor, Mr K C Pant. The Valley by itself does not represent the State of Jammu and Kashmir." While such hardening of positions on either side of the border gives an air of predictability to the forthcoming summit, India is unwilling to let the focus shift from the fact that dialogue in itself is a positive development for the region. "We are approaching the summit in the manner and spirit in which the invitation was extended. It is our expectation that Pakistan will approach the summit in the same manner and spirit," the Minister said. Referring to the eight-point Composite Dialogue process, Mr Singh said, "India will continue to abide by it. Even Pakistan had agreed to it. I'm astonished that Pakistan should now suggest other issues are peripheral." Stressing that India's priorities for talks are clear, in that Jammu and Kashmir is only "one of the components" of the Composite Dialogue, Mr Singh said, "It is for Pakistan to look at its priorities." The Minister however clarified that if Gen Musharraf wants to discuss Kashmir first, "We must not get tied down by procedural matters." Asked whether focus on Kashmir could be used by Gen Musharraf to claim success at the summit, the Minister said, "India is never reluctant to talk about Jammu and Kashmir. How Gen Musharraf presents it is his concern." Mr Singh expressed regret over the manner in which Pakistan has responded to India's offer of visas at border checkposts. "We do not agree with Pakistan. We firmly believe that if the people of the two countries can travel to and fro, both sides will benefit. This has been termed peripheral but I cannot subscribe to the theory that people are peripheral." Mr Singh said India was "disappointed" with Pakistan for having brought in "extraneous elements" to the Vajpayee-Musharraf summit by inviting the Hurriyat for tea at the Pakistan High Commission in the Capital on July 14. Asked whether a Government representative would be present at the tea, he said all due protocol would be observed. Protocol would demand Foreign Secretary or Chief Protocol Officer presence since the invitation to the tea has been extended by the Pakistan High Commissioner. Asked to comment on composition of the Indian delegation for the summit as opposed to the Pakistani one, Mr Singh said, "It indicates India's priorities at the talks. It is for Pakistan to decide what priority it attaches to the summit." Mr Singh ruled out discussions on the Iran-India gas pipeline at the summit, saying it was a bilateral issue between India and Iran. "It is not subject to Pakistan's veto or concurrence," he said. The Foreign Minister also said India was "deeply disturbed" over the PoW issue. "Time and again we taken up the issue with Pakistan. In Lahore, we agreed that the two sides will depute a Minister each to visit jails holding PoWs. Unfortunately that Government (Nawaz Sharif's) is no longer there. But it's a humanitarian issue and we are deeply disturbed." He added: "The Geneva Convention can come into play only if Pakistan accepts there are PoWs. So far, there has been no acceptance." Whether the Agra summit will hold relevance in the long run, the Minister said, "All agreements reached are between two countries, between two governments, not between two people. But if they are ignored, it's not good for international peace." ---------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ofbjp.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- A worldwide community of BJP's friends, supporters and activists: Friends of the BJP - Worldwid http://www.ofbjp.org/fob ----------------------------------------------------------------------
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