LOC16:45
13:45 GMT
KUN0057 4 GEN 0278 KUWAIT /KUNA-JXY3
POL-MUSHARRAF-INDIA-VISIT
Kashmir to be top agenda during President Musharrafs visit to India
(with India-Pakistan series)
ISLAMABAD, April 15 (KUNA) -- Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf
Saturday will travel to New Delhi with more substantive agenda than merely
watching a one-day cricket match between India and Pakistan.
President would discuss all outstanding issues between the two countries
and Kashmir will be on top of agenda, said foreign minister Khurshid Mahmoud
Kasuri.
The President will depart for India on Saturday on the first leg of his
trip to India, the Philippines and Indonesia, said a foreign ministry
statement.
The statement said he will hold talks with the Prime Minister of India, Dr.
Manmohan Singh, on Sunday morning on the entire gamut of bilateral issues
between the two countries with a special focus on the core issue of Jammu and
Kashmir.
Kasuri talking to a private news channel termed President Musharrafs visit
to India as "very important" and hoped that his talks with Indian leadership
would be result oriented.
Noting that no one could provide a durable solution to Kashmir without the
involvement of genuine Kashmiri leadership, Kasuri said Pakistan want to
settle all bilateral issues through peaceful talks.
The Foreign Minister said that Delhi talks would be different from that
held in Agra in 2001. "Now situation is a lot different from it was then,"
Kasuri said.
General Musharraf last visited India in 2001 and held talks with the then
premier Atal Behari Vajpayee. However, these had no positive impact on the
tense relations between the two nuclear rivals.
- President Musharraf is moving to New Delhi at a time when
long-awaited Kashmir Bus service between Srinagar and Muzafarabad has embarked
on a new beginning in relations of the two countries though acquisition of jet
planes has left a bad taste.
Political analysts have termed it a good beginning but believe that both
sides are locked in arms race and still far from the realization of resolving
all of their disputes including Kashmir that may deteriorate into a bigger
case of conflict.
Kashmir, divided between India and Pakistan and claimed in full by both,
had caused two of their three wars.
At the brink of fourth war, the two countries embarked on a nascent peace
process which Western diplomats believe offers the best chance of a lasting
settlement to their disputes in decades. (end)
amn.rk
KUNA 151645 Apr 05NNNN