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Terrorism, firing along LoC should
be discussed at the summit: RSS

"However, Kashmir cannot be an issue for discussion during the summit," RSS spokesman M G Vaidya said, adding it was an opportunity for Pakistan to resolve contentious issues through peaceful negotiations.

"We are bound by the historic 1972 Simla agreement which clearly says there will be no third party intervention to resolve the Kashmir issue and only bilateral talks and the agreement will remain the basis of agenda for talks irrespective of any change of guard in either country," he told reporters.

"Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India legally and constitutionally and both Houses of Parliament have approved of this in 1994," Vaidya said.

The RSS was against turning the LoC into the International Border, he said in reply to a question.

Vaidya cautioned people from having high expectations from the summit.

"It is a well known fact that the army in Pakistan has always played a vital role in that country. And since President Pervez Musharraf is also the Pakistan Army chief, he is in an advantageous position."

About the role of Hurriyat Conference in the talks, Vaidya said, "They committed a blunder by not talking to the Centre's emissary K C Pant."

To a query regarding Pakistan's invitation to Hurriyat leaders to an official reception in honour of the visiting dignitary at the Pakistani high commission, Vaidya said the opposition parties had on Monday decided to boycott the function if the Hurriyat was attending it.

He said the atmosphere and reaction of people in Pakistan about the Agra summit may be the same as what had been during Vajpayee's bus ride to Lahore. "He was not allowed to go up to Lahore, indeed it was a bus ride up to Wagah on the Indian border," Vaidya added.

"Neither people nor army was happy with the Indian initiative that time," the RSS spokesman said.

"Whichever ruler of Pakistan initiated peace talks, be it prime ministers Zulfikar Ali Bhutto or Nawaz Sharif, later on faced stiff opposition within Pakistan and were eventually thrown out of power. It is absolutely their internal matter," he added.

Vaidya observed that there has been a perceptible reduction in Pakistan sponsored violence in Jammu and Kashmir after May 31 when the Centre extended the invitation to Gen Musharraf.

PTI

Indo-Pak Summit 2001: The Complete Coverage

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