Beijing: In remarks that may please India, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on Monday said that Pakistan is taking a ‘bilateral approach’ to amicably resolve the Kashmir issue for the economic benefit of the people and hoped ‘good sense’ will prevail on both sides.
In his first public comments on Kashmir after the Yousuf Raza Gillani-led government assumed office last month, Musharraf chose to sing a different tune with an emphasis on resolving the ‘festering’ issue bilaterally, a departure from its traditional stance for third party mediation.
"The dispute with Kashmir, as far as Pakistan is concerned. May I say very proudly that we going on a bilateral approach with India," Musharraf, who is on a six-day visit to close ally China, told teachers and students at the elite Tsinghua University.
"We hope that good sense prevails on both sides to resolve this long standing dispute amicably between our two countries for the economic benefit of people of these two countries," he said.
Pakistan has been insisting on third party mediation, even suggesting China's involvement, on the Kashmir issue, a demand out rightly rejected by India, which wants it to be dealt only bilaterally.
But Asif Ali Zardari, chairman of Pakistan People's Party that leads the ruling coalition had said recently that the ties between the two countries should not be held hostage to the Kashmir issue, which should be left for future generations to resolve.
Pakistan's new Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had also said his government will not shy away from taking a ‘different’ approach on the Kashmir issue and stressed on promoting bilateral trade.
Comments
0 comment