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We want peace with India, says Pakistan

K J M Varma in Islamabad

Pakistan on Tuesday said it remained 'steadfast' in its desire to have peaceful and negotiated settlement of Kashmir and all other issues with India and hoped that New Delhi would listen to the international community to hold India-Pakistan dialogue to reduce tension.

"We remain steadfast in our resolve to settle all issues between the two countries including Kashmir through bilateral talks and through negotiations," Foreign Office spokesman Aziz Ahmed Khan said.

He hoped that the just concluded visit of British Prime Minister Tony Blair to India and Pakistan would reduce tension between the two countries.

Reacting to India's decision not to hold talks, Khan told reporters here it was evident from Blair's visit that the international community wanted to scale down tension between the two countries.

"They are suggesting the two countries to sit and discuss all issues. Hope India will listen to the widely held opinion and relent," he said.

Khan also denied the 'perception' that Blair's remarks last night equating suicide attacks on Jammu and Kashmir Assembly and Indian Parliament with that of September 11 terrorist attacks in US have in a way damaged Pakistan's 'interests'.

Stating that Pakistan was one of the first countries to condemn both the incidents, he said, "I would not agree with the perception you are attributing."

He said the international community certainly supported Pakistan's position of de-escalating the tension between the two countries and resolving the outstanding issues including Kashmir through bilateral talks.

Asked about the Indian assertion that Interpol circulated dossiers on a number of wanted persons figuring in the list of 20 criminals and terrorists given by India to Pakistan, Khan said he had no information on that and would give details after cross-checking with officials concerned.

Besides Jaish-e-Mohammed leader Masood Azhar, the list contain names of IC 814 hijackers, Sikh extremists and Dawood Ibrahim and his associates who were involved in Mumbai blasts, against whom Interpol alerts have been sounded.

Khan also denied any confusion among the ranks of the government in evolving a common stand on the response to be given over the list.

While Pakistan Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar said in Kathmandu that they can be extradited if India takes recourse to SAARC Convention on Terrorism, President Pervez Musharraf said last night that he analysed the list and a decision would be announced soon.

"There is no confusion. All statements ultimately boil down to the fact that there is no evidence. Without evidence nobody can be proceeded against," Khan said adding that evidence was required even under Pakistan's Extradition Act.

Reacting to Blair's recent assertion that Britain would support India's claim for the permanent membership of UN Security Council, he said different countries had different perceptions.

"It would take time to overcome differences," he said.

He said the election to the UN Security Council was a complicated issue, which cannot be resolved easily.

Stating that the issue was not going to be decided in a hurry, Khan said consideration had to be given to different factors including the records of the countries that staked their claims for the seat.

Meanwhile, President Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday held a meeting with the army's corps commanders and top defence officials to discuss the latest situation arising out of the Indo-Pak tension.

The meeting, which was held at the Rawalpindi headquarters of the army, discussed operational preparedness of Pakistan's defence forces in the light of the heavy military buildup along the Indo-Pak border.

At the meeting, which lasted for several hours, Musharraf reviewed operational plans and gave his approval, a defence ministry press release said.

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