Very interesting statement by Kasuri shaib, which he would not normally make unless there was something signifcant happening.
Pakistan, India have almost reached an “accord” on Kashmir, says Kasuri
Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri has claimed that both Pakistan and India had reached an “agreement” to resolve the Kashmir issue, and that it was being given the final shape. Kasuri said that the two nations were moving towards a settlement to Kashmir dispute that might not be the first best choice for all the three parties but it could surely be the second best. He said that the finalised Kashmir package would be presented before the Pakistani parliament for approval. In case it were not approved by the Parliament it would not be acceptable to Pakistan, he added. Declining to give the details of the agreement, Kasuri said that the two countries are yet to take certain steps to create a conducive environment before the agreement is announced. “Lot of the ground has been covered for an agreement on Kashmir and some areas of differences are being sorted out. Certain steps are needed to create conducive environment so that the two governments could sell the ‘package’ to the people of Pakistan, India and Kashmir,” The Nation quoted Kasuri as saying.
**However, another senior official reportedly said that the proposed package on Kashmir bears resemblance to the President Musharraf’s four-point Kashmir plan asking for the Kashmiris’ self-rule, demilitarisation of the disputed territory, free movement across the Line of Control (LoC) and joint management by Pakistan and India. **Kasuri also claimed that the progress made on the Kashmir package was “irreversible” and that it did not matter whether the Musharraf government in Pakistan and that of Congress in India remained in power or not. He said that the two sides were engaged in talks on the resolution of bilateral disputes at both the formal and informal level. He added that realisation had emerged on both sides of the border that the war could not bring a solution to Kashmir or any other issue on the composite dialogue agenda. About the likely timeframe for the settlement of Kashmir dispute, the Foreign Minister said that the progress made so far was beyond the imagination. “It also depends on the internal situation in the two countries as it is going to be an election year in Pakistan whereas in India polls are being held in some of the states,” he added. He said that the two sides were not going for any secret deal and all they were doing was to avoid unnecessary opposition by some elements on both sides before the finalisation of the vital pact. (ANI)
