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T V Parasuram in Washington
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on Thursday asked the United States to mediate on the Kashmir issue and said New Delhi's call to Islamabad to hand over 20 criminals and terrorists could be addressed when the two sides start negotiating on all disputes.
Addressing the National Press Club, Musharraf said that Kashmir is the only issue between India and Pakistan. "There are no other issues or disputes. The others are irritants that can be solved in time. We need to resolve the Kashmir dispute to bring peace to the South Asian region," Musharraf said.
Stating that the Simla Accord envisaged the two parties settling the Kashmir issue bilaterally, he said bilateralism is best. "You ought to sit down and talk and resolve disputes. But if bilateralism does not work, if there is insincerity, then may I suggest that mediation and facilitation is the only choice. And the only country which can go for mediation and facilitation is the US," he said.
Asked whether the US has been responsive to the request for mediation, he said: "Yes. It has responded. I know that President (George) Bush and Secretary (of State) Colin Powell have been playing a role behind the scenes to diffuse the situation and they are extremely keen we move forward in a process of dialogue on all issues, including Kashmir."
About the list of 20 terrorists, some of them Indian nationals, that New Delhi wants Pakistan to hand over as a condition for de-escalation, he claimed: "We don't have those terrorists and this is a very complicated issue. There are a lot of terrorists."
"This issue of terrorists being handed over by Pakistan needs to be addressed when we start negotiating on all issues, including Kashmirm," the Pakistani president said.
Asked whether an independent Kashmir would be acceptable to Pakistan as a solution, Musharraf said Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee also asked him: "What is the way forward? How do we go about?"
Musharraf said his answer is that "if we start talking of solutions, we are not going to move ahead because these are all very contentious issues. A lot of people have very differing views on it. Let us go step by step, not jump to the ultimate. Let us start the process of dialogue. Let us sit down and start talking".
Asked about his statement that India had planned or carried out a new nuclear test, Musharraf said: "Not carried out. I said we got reports they may be testing, going in for a nuclear test. I also said we did not understand why they carried out the (Agni) missile test at this moment."
"It is totally not understandable. Is it to coerce us or is it to tell the world that here is a big power, which does not care about world concerns? So we thought a similar action, response, could be in testing a nuclear device. We got some reports about it. That is what I said," he said.
Musharraf said India has not shown the "required degree of sincerity in resolving the Kashmir issue".
"There is a tendency on their part to impose an unpopular and unworkable decision over the people of Kashmir. This is undeniable and it will remain unacceptable," he said.
"At Agra, a draft declaration, approved by Prime Minister Vajpayee and Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh, was ready for signature in a hall where a table and two chairs were kept. However, Vajpayee declined saying the Cabinet has not approved it," he said.
"The Cabinet," said Musharraf, "was not there in Agra but somebody did not approve -- I don't know (who). I have a fairly good guess."
On the terrorist attack on Indian Parliament, Musharraf alleged: "It was an excuse for India to move troops to the border and creating a climate of possible war between the two countries."
Saying he is grateful to Powell for his "personal diplomacy" in reducing tensions between the two countries, he said there are two things in military terms -- intentions and capabilities.
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