Monday, April 18 2005 09:17 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf today (Apr 18, 2005) said that an "out of the box" solution has to be found with regard to Kashmir which is acceptable to India, Pakistan and the people of Kashmir.

President Musharraf asserted that unless the Kashmir "dispute" was resolved it can "erupt" in the future under "different leadership and different environment" in the two countries.

The President said it has been conveyed to the Indian leadership in "strongest terms" that unless the "core dispute of Kashmir" is resolved, "it can erupt again in any future timeframe under different environments and different leaderships".

Musharraf said if issues "were swept under the carpet", things can never work.

To a question on resolving the Baghlihar water project issue to the mutual benefit of India and Pakistan and coming to another agreement like the Indus Water Treaty, Musharraf said that there is need to develop trust and understanding by ignoring the acrimony of the past.

"I feel sky is the limit for both sides," but there is need for improving the environment before an accord on the water project could be achieved as suspicion existed towards each other in India and Pakistan, he said.

Musharraf said a solution to the Siachen issue could be found but maps of the two countries require to be changed with regard to the Actual Ground Position Line from the last point Northern Junction 9842.

Musharraf said that a solution to Sir Creek issue could be easily found as it was just to decide where the boundary between the two countries.

The Pakistan President said all issues could be solved in few sittings but they were lingering, as "we do not want to solve them sincerely".

It is only one dispute, which will take lot of attention and wisdom and that is Kashmir, he said.

Asked what was his benchmark he had in mind for this visit, Musharraf said the objective was clearly beyond the cricket match. The aim was to discuss all issues including Kashmir, he said.

Musharraf stressed that the Kashmir issue "has to be handled by the leadership" and not left to others. "It is the leadership, which can make it move forward."

On the outcome of his visit, he said the "achievements are more than what we expected" and added that both sides had adopted flexible approaches.

Dismissing the charge that he was "uni-focal", Musharraf said he had come prepared on all issues. Citing the example of the Baglihar issue, he said, "I know exactly where it stands."

To a question on "soft border", he said resolutions of all disputes have to be based on the views of the people but felt there was no fixed mechanism for determining this, contending that one has to know the pulse.

He was of the view that it was for the leadership to quietly arrive at some conclusions and guide the people in debating them.

Musharraf said that if the two countries do not solve the Kashmir issue, he could not state what would happen in the next 10-15 years.

On the issue of enhancing economic ties and trade between India and Pakistan, he said despite Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status being given to his country by India, the trade has not grown because of high tariff barriers.

"These issues are little more complicated than we can see on the surface," the Pakistani leader said.

Replying to a question, Musharraf said he saw no problem in having a Mumbai-Karachi link by sea.

"I don't see what is the problem between sea. A person can wander here there while going by road or rail, but there is absolutely no possibility through sea," he said when asked what he felt of a Mumbai-Kutch-Karachi boat service.

As regards fishermen of the two countries getting caught while inadvertently straying into each other's territory, the Pakistan President said he was of the view that these fishermen are poor people and should immediately be released.

Musharraf virtually brushed aside Indian stand that boundaries cannot be altered and made it clear that Line of Control (LoC) cannot be the final solution.

"I keep hearing boundaries cannot be altered. At the same time, Line of Control cannot be accepted as a final solution and I know Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) also absolutely accepts it," he said in an interaction with Editors in New Delhi before winding up his three-day visit to India.

Musharraf said, "I said this even in New York. Take the three stands together and now discuss the final solution."

"Wonderful. This is really out of the box," remarked M J Akbar, President of the Editors' Guild, who conducted the proceedings.

To a question how public opinion could be ascertained on what is the solution for disputes, he said that there is no mechanism that can do it. A referendum may not be possible.

"Its the pulse of the people that the Governments are to take note of. I don't think you can move ahead on intractable issues without knowing what the people want. People can discuss issues.

"It is the leadership who have to sit quietly and arrive at a solution. I think that is a better approach."

To a question that there could be no time frame for resolution of disputes, he said, "Yes, there cannot be a rigid time frame but you cannot go on discussing indefinitely."