Islamabad: Playing up Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's criticism of Pervez Musharraf for demanding right of self determination for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the beleaguered Opposition in Pakistan said Musharraf's failure to address the issue of Constitutional amendments has cast a dark shadow on the country's "historical" stand on Kashmir.

"The Indian Prime Minister's remarks reflected that if Musharraf's Legal Framework Order (LFO) containing his Constitutional amendments were not approved by Parliament, it would cast a shadow on Pakistan's stand on Kashmir," PPP General Secretary Raja Rabbani said in a statement.

He was reacting to Vajpayee's speech at Panipat in which he said, "There has been talk of right to self determination (in Jammu and Kashmir). Does Pakistan have democracy? Does it have an elected government? Those who rule at gunpoint are talking of the right of self-determination. It is not right."

Vajpayee's remarks were a "clear reflection that the longer the government lingers the LFO issue and does not bring it before Parliament it is going to cast dark shadows on historical positions taken by Pakistan," Rabbani said.

PTI