Vajpayee ready for peace talks with Pakistan
Vajpayee ready for peace talks with Pakistan
NEW DELHI (AFP): Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said on Tuesday he was ready for talks with Pakistan on Kashmir, as the state's top militant group urged separatist parties to bury differences on the region's future.
"We are ready to talk to anyone for solving the Kashmir tangle including with our neighbor provided the situation improves," Vajpayee told the upper house of the Indian parliament.
New Delhi accuses Islamabad of arming the Muslim insurgency in Kashmir and has refused to begin a dialogue until the level of violence subsides.
Three weeks ago, Indian security forces suspended counter- insurgency operations against militant groups in Kashmir for the Islamic holy month of Ramadhan, following a directive from Vajpayee.
The prime minister said he had yet to take a decision on extending the unilateral ceasefire.
Cautious moves are underway to find an acceptable framework for talks between the Kashmir separatists, India and Pakistan on the future of the divided state, administered in parts by the two South Asian rivals.
Meanwhile, the Hizbul Mujahideen militant outfit asked Kashmiri separatist leaders on Tuesday to avoid arguing over whether to accede to Pakistan or go for full independence.
"Raising such issues will prove detrimental at this point of time," Hizbul's spokesman in Kashmir, "Commander" Masood, told AFP by telephone.
Masood's comments came after pro-Pakistan and pro-independence supporters clashed Sunday outside the Srinagar headquarters of Kashmir's main separatist alliance -- the All Party Hurriyat Conference.
"Hizbul Mujahideen expresses its deep shock and dismay over the incident," Masood said.
"Such incidents only betray the frustration of our leadership," he added.
"Although Hizbul favors the merger of Kashmir with Pakistan, the outfit would never rake any conflict on the matter at this crucial moment."
Indian army chief Gen. S. Padmanabhan, said he was largely pleased with the rebel response to New Delhi's ceasefire in Kashmir.
"In general terms the response has been good. It's for the government to decide on any extension. I will advise the government when I am asked to," he told reporters in New Delhi.
Padmanabhan said some separatist groups did not seem to favor the peace moves but added the army was applying "strict restraint."
"This might change. Nothing in this world is static ... If somebody is shooting at me, I can't be throwing flowers. We will deal with them appropriately," he said.
India and Pakistan, which administer parts of the divided Himalayan province, have fought two wars and a border conflict last year over Kashmir.
Hizbul's Masood said the time has come when Kashmiris had to prove to the world that they wanted a peaceful and negotiated settlement of the longstanding dispute.
Masood was one of four field commanders who spoke to Indian officials in Srinagar in July to work out the modalities of a unilateral Hizbul ceasefire that collapsed within a fortnight.
Muslim militancy in Indian-administered Kashmir has claimed more than 34,000 lives since 1989.
Police said seven people, including a minister's relative and a prominent former Muslim militant, had been killed in separate incidents in Kashmir since Monday evening.