Friday, February 25 2005 18:25 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Claiming that Pakistan has taken all necessary steps to contain cross-border terrorism, its Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz today (Feb 25, 2005) said if "something happens" in Jammu and Kashmir, it is "reaction" of the local people and has nothing to do with the "moral and political" support extended to the people in the "disputed" area.

"We have always said that Pakistan gives moral, diplomatic and political support to the people in the disputed area of Kashmir. We do not favour cross-border terrorism and have taken all the necessary steps to contain them," Aziz said through a videoconference at the 'India Today' conclave in New Delhi.

"However, if something happens in the Indian part of Kashmir, that is the reaction of the local people. This has nothing to do with what political and moral support we give but is based on the local situation in Kashmir," he said.

He was responding to a question by former diplomat N N Jha who pointed out that Pakistan-based militant outfit Al Badr has claimed responsibility for yesterday's attack on the divisional headquarters of the J and K Government in Srinagar in which six persons including three security personnel and two militants were killed.

Aziz made it clear that Confidence Building Measures would have to move "in tandem" with progress on the Kashmir issue. "We believe that progress on the Kashmir issue will influence progress on other issues."