Peace process not stalled, Zardari to meet Singh: Pak

“I do not think that the peace process has come to a halt because our team is visiting Delhi shortly to discuss Kashmir-related issues, particularly cross-LoC trade…We are also keen to send a delegation from our side of Kashmir to Srinagar to discuss with business circles there the tradable items,” he told reporters in Islamabad.

“That I would not call a stalling of the (peace) process,” said Qureshi, who will be part of the Pakistani delegation that Zardari will lead to the UN General Assembly.

Zardari’s meeting with Singh on the sidelines of the UN meet will be important as it will give the two sides an opportunity to exchange views on outstanding issues, he said.

“The meeting in New York is required because we have to continue to pursue the peace process which is in our mutual interest,” Qureshi added.

Though there had been “hiccups” in the peace process, both countries have to “remain steadfast and keep moving in the right direction”, he said.

The two sides will also have to be “very careful and avoid the blame game” with regard to the recent terrorist attacks in India, Qureshi remarked.

Responding to questions on the bomb attacks in New Delhi that killed over 20 people, Qureshi said: “The groups claiming the recent violence have nothing to do with Kashmir. I don’t know what agenda they have but you can’t point fingers at Pakistan.”

The shadowy Islamic Mujahideen group has claimed responsibility for the blasts in Delhi as well as recent bombings in Jaipur, Bangalore and Ahmedabad.

Qureshi also said the recent unrest and protests in Jammu and Kashmir were ‘completely indigenous’ as ‘local feeling that was simmering has come out’.

Asked about Zardari’s recent statement that there would soon be “some good news” on Kashmir, Qureshi said the Pakistan government wanted to evolve national consensus to resolve the long-standing issue.

“It is not a new issue and it is not easy to resolve. We need consensus on it,” he said.

After discussions with all political parties, the government has decided to form a parliamentary caucus on Kashmir that will try to build national consensus on the issue. The caucus will be briefed by the Foreign Office on the Kashmir issue so that it could frame a way forward in future, Qureshi said.

Qureshi said he had told Indian leaders during interactions that it was important to address “core issues” while moving forward on matters like trade, liberalising the visa regime and people-to-people contacts.

Qureshi said the Sir Creek boundary row and the military stand-off on Siachen were “solvable and could be resolved” to the benefit of both countries.

In the field of trade, both sides had strengths they could benefit from while people-to-people contacts would help bridge the distance and address misperceptions, he said.

Qureshi also said Pakistan had taken up the issue of the reduced water flow in the Chenab river with India. “Pakistan has valid reasons for concern and I took up the issue after being briefed by senior officials, including Indus Waters Commissioner Jamat Ali Shah,” he said.

The Foreign Office had taken up the matter through diplomatic channels and also with Indian High Commissioner Satyabrata Pal. Pakistan’s High Commissioner in Delhi on Wednesday met Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon, who said the issue would be resolved under the terms of the Indus Waters Treaty, Qureshi said.

The Foreign Minister parried questions on the resurgence of militant groups that had been banned by the regime of former President Pervez Musharraf.

He acknowledged that some of these groups had adopted “different cloaks” while recently issuing statements and organising protest rallies.

The government has to keep a “difficult balance” as it could not be perceived as cracking down on democratic protests. However, it would not “permit armed organizations creating havoc within Pakistan and destroying the image of Pakistan,” he said.