Vajpayee ready for peace talks with Pakistan<\/p>\n
NEW DELHI (AFP): Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee
\nsaid on Tuesday he was ready for talks with Pakistan on Kashmir,
\nas the state's top militant group urged separatist parties to
\nbury differences on the region's future.<\/p>\n
\"We are ready to talk to anyone for solving the Kashmir tangle
\nincluding with our neighbor provided the situation improves,\"
\nVajpayee told the upper house of the Indian parliament.<\/p>\n
New Delhi accuses Islamabad of arming the Muslim insurgency in
\nKashmir and has refused to begin a dialogue until the level of
\nviolence subsides.<\/p>\n
Three weeks ago, Indian security forces suspended counter-
\ninsurgency operations against militant groups in Kashmir for the
\nIslamic holy month of Ramadhan, following a directive from
\nVajpayee.<\/p>\n
The prime minister said he had yet to take a decision on
\nextending the unilateral ceasefire.<\/p>\n
Cautious moves are underway to find an acceptable framework
\nfor talks between the Kashmir separatists, India and Pakistan on
\nthe future of the divided state, administered in parts by the two
\nSouth Asian rivals.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Hizbul Mujahideen militant outfit asked
\nKashmiri separatist leaders on Tuesday to avoid arguing over
\nwhether to accede to Pakistan or go for full independence.<\/p>\n
\"Raising such issues will prove detrimental at this point of
\ntime,\" Hizbul's spokesman in Kashmir, \"Commander\" Masood, told
\nAFP by telephone.<\/p>\n
Masood's comments came after pro-Pakistan and pro-independence
\nsupporters clashed Sunday outside the Srinagar headquarters of
\nKashmir's main separatist alliance -- the All Party Hurriyat
\nConference.<\/p>\n
\"Hizbul Mujahideen expresses its deep shock and dismay over
\nthe incident,\" Masood said.<\/p>\n
\"Such incidents only betray the frustration of our
\nleadership,\" he added.<\/p>\n
\"Although Hizbul favors the merger of Kashmir with Pakistan,
\nthe outfit would never rake any conflict on the matter at this
\ncrucial moment.\"<\/p>\n
Indian army chief Gen. S. Padmanabhan, said he was largely
\npleased with the rebel response to New Delhi's ceasefire in
\nKashmir.<\/p>\n
\"In general terms the response has been good. It's for the
\ngovernment to decide on any extension. I will advise the
\ngovernment when I am asked to,\" he told reporters in New Delhi.<\/p>\n
Padmanabhan said some separatist groups did not seem to favor
\nthe peace moves but added the army was applying \"strict
\nrestraint.\"<\/p>\n
\"This might change. Nothing in this world is static ... If
\nsomebody is shooting at me, I can't be throwing flowers. We will
\ndeal with them appropriately,\" he said.<\/p>\n
India and Pakistan, which administer parts of the divided
\nHimalayan province, have fought two wars and a border conflict
\nlast year over Kashmir.<\/p>\n
Hizbul's Masood said the time has come when Kashmiris had to
\nprove to the world that they wanted a peaceful and negotiated
\nsettlement of the longstanding dispute.<\/p>\n
Masood was one of four field commanders who spoke to Indian
\nofficials in Srinagar in July to work out the modalities of a
\nunilateral Hizbul ceasefire that collapsed within a fortnight.<\/p>\n
Muslim militancy in Indian-administered Kashmir has claimed
\nmore than 34,000 lives since 1989.<\/p>\n
Police said seven people, including a minister's relative and
\na prominent former Muslim militant, had been killed in separate
\nincidents in Kashmir since Monday evening.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/vajpayee-ready-for-peace-talks-with-pakistan-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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