Thursday, June 16 2005 17:08 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that the Indo-Pak peace process has become Kashmir-centric with the Hurriyat Conference getting prominence over the democratically-elected Government of Jammu and Kashmir.

In a letter sent to Singh yesterday (Jun 15, 2005), the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) chairman has said the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government had allowed Pakistan to slip out of its earlier commitment to India.

"With great effort and sustained strategy, Pakistan was made to commit to comprehensive process of normalisation leading to Joint Statement of January 6, 2004. But it seems that the peace process has now become Kashmir-centric, an objective cherished by the establishment in Pakistan," he said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader drew Singh's attention to the "disturbing turn" the peace process with Islamabad has taken.

Maintaining that there was a distinction between moderates and hardliners a year back, Vajpayee said today moderates were totally pro-Pakistan.

Observing that the Hurriyat visit to Pakistan was "mishandled" by the Indian authorities, he said "they should have been given Indian passports and asked to enter Pakistan across the International Border.