Pakistan sticks to peaceful negotiations

Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf has sent special envoy Najmuddin A. Shaikh to brief Indonesian leaders on the latest situation between Pakistan and India. Shaikh spoke to The Jakarta Post's Kornelius Purba about his mission to Indonesia on Monday. Below are excerpts of the interview:

Question: What is your main mission in Indonesia?

Answer: The purpose of my visit is to explain to President Megawati Soekarnoputri and other Indonesian dignitaries about the crisis situation in South Asia, and to deliver a letter from President Musharraf to the President in the same context. I met her on Friday. She is very kind and very understanding, and emphasized that we should pursue the resumption of dialog between India and Pakistan to settle the conflict peacefully. She said that Indonesia advocates the resumption of dialog because Indonesia believes that the absence of dialog will worsen the situation.

So this is the main purpose of my visit to Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan.

Q: Do you have any specific expectations from Indonesia?

A: Indonesia is a very important country and a member of regional groups like the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. Indonesia is a brotherly friend of Pakistan and India. With its concern as a citizen of the world and as the member of the Southeast Asian community which is in close proximity to South Asia, it can play an active role in advocating restraint, in persuading India to exercise restraint and to resume dialog with Pakistan.

Q: How about international concerns about the possibility of nuclear war between Pakistan and India?

A: Pakistan has made it clear that it does not want war, Pakistan will not start the war but will defend itself if attacked. The President has said that the use of nuclear weapon is unthinkable. But I think the most important point for the international community is that today people are engaging in speculation and assessments as to whether there will be a situation where a conflict between India and Pakistan might result in a nuclear exchange.

The crisis should not be allowed to become so acute where you have to make an assessment whether nuclear (weapons) are to be used or not. For the international community it is important to avoid reaching such an evaluation or assessment.

That is why it is important for the international community to act quickly to advocate and pressure India to exercise restraint and to resume dialog. The international community should make efforts to ensure that such a crisis does not arise again. It is necessary to sustain meaningful negotiations between India and Pakistan to settle the problem of Kashmir and to find a settlement in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

There are three parties to the Kashmir dispute, namely India, Pakistan and people of Kashmir themselves. The most important party is the people of Kashmir. The people of Kashmir in the past 13 years since the struggle against the occupation of Indian forces has intensified, have lost; according to an estimate by Indian newspapers more than 45,000 people and according to other estimates about 50,000 people (have died).

However no matter what the number, it is a terrifically large figure. We must remember the right of the Kashmiri people to have their voice and opinion taken into account in seeking a solution, which has been promised to them by India, Pakistan and the United Nations -- which in various resolutions have stated that the fate of Kashmir will be decided through a free and impartial plebiscite. Now we realize that Kashmir is a difficult problem, we can have a simple solution, a plebiscite is a simple solution...

Q: How about growing concern over terrorist activities in Kashmir?

A: India has sought to suggest that the problem of Kashmir is a problem of terrorism. This is absolutely wrong, intensification of the Kashmir struggle started in 1989 and at that time there was no terrorism, it was an indigenous problem. Of course they received assistance from outside but it does not detract from the fact that major part of the struggle has been raised by the Kashmiri people themselves.

Terrorism from outside or assistance from outside is not the main issue. India has tried to use the current atmosphere on terrorism to obscure the fact that what is faced in Kashmir is the fact that Kashmiri people are totally alienated from India, and that the people want freedom.

Pakistan's President has reiterated that Pakistan will not allow its territory to be used for any terrorist activities. That is a very important development, but you must also look at the situation on the ground in Kashmir. The line of control is 750 kilometers long ... Pakistan will make every effort to stop people from crossing the line of control ... but people still manage to cross.

The international community must make them (India) realize that OK, if you keep making these allegations then you must accept the proposal of Pakistan for the stationing of impartial observers at the line of control, who can then say whether India's allegation is true or not.

India has rejected the impartial observer proposal. India has proposed that there should be a joint patrol by both Pakistan and India at the border. However this is very difficult given the fact that right now our soldiers are pointing guns at each other, how can they patrol together? ... Tomorrow if we have a joint patrol, the patrol (members) will be shouting at each other. But nevertheless we will receive the proposal formally and discuss it at the negotiating table.

Q: How about the prospects of a peaceful solution for Kashmir?

A: Pakistan has said and continues to maintain the position that they are prepared for peaceful negotiations anytime, at any place, and at any level; be it at the summit level or at a ministerial level.