Beijing: Pakistani Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali on March 25
accused "interest groups" within India of blocking resumption of India-Pakistan
talks to resolve all pending problems, including the vexed Kashmir issue.
"There are interest groups who, for domestic reasons, whip up communal politics and
maintain hostility towards Pakistan," Jamali alleged in a hard-hitting speech on his
second day of his three-day maiden official visit to China.
While describing such thinking as "dangerous," Jamali told his Chinese audience that
Pakistan is hopeful that India would "see path of reason and respond positively to
our offer of dialogue".
"In today's world there is no alternative to dialogue," he said while describing the
Kashmir issue as the "prime source" of tension between the two south Asian nuclear
powers.
Speaking on the subject "Pakistan's policy on peace and security in South Asia" at
the Chinese people's association for peace and disarmament, a think-tank of the
Chinese government, Jamali said the principal source of tension between Pakistan and
India is the Kashmir dispute.
"A just settlement of this issue will lead to normalisation of relations between the
two major countries of South Asia and will allow nearly one and half billion people
to use their energies for economic development," he said.
Accusing New Delhi of "suppressing the wishes of Kashmiri people by deploying over
600,000 troops and security forces in Kashmir", the Pakistani Prime Minister also
alleged that India has been attempting to exploit the "international sentiment against
terrorism".
"India has vainly tried to project the Kashmir dispute as a problem of terrorism. This
cannot mislead the international community," he said.
"The character of the Kashmir dispute has been defined by the United Nations Security
Council (UNSC) resolutions and it cannot be altered because of Indian campaign to
malign the Kashmiri struggle," Jamali said.
He alleged that India also resorted to military pressure tactics last year by mobilising
one million troops against Pakistan along the line of control (LoC) in Kashmir and the
international border.
Welcoming China's stand during the India-Pakistan stand off, he noted that Beijing has
consistently called for de-escalation and dialogue.
Jamali said the main elements of Pakistan's approach to relations with India includes
dialogue for settlement of all outstanding disputes including Kashmir; secondly,
restraint and security balance in South Asia, he said.
"We do not desire an arms race in the region, conventional or nuclear," he said.
Thirdly, Pakistan stood for co-operation for economic development of the region, he
said, adding, "My government reiterates our offer of dialogue with india.
"We must begin a process of talks in an effort to resolve problems. The process will
pave the way for confidence building and improvement of political environment in the
region needed for the settlement of all issues," Jamali said.
PTI
