Chairman Senate Foreign Relations Committee Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed on Thursday said Pakistan was engaged in confidence building measures with India with sincerity to ensure peace in the region and promote development. Talking to Indian journalists at a dinner reception hosted in their honour here, Senator Mushahid said media has been playing an effective role in highlighting the importance of dialogue process between the two countries.
He said our nuclear capability has increased the confidence of Pakistani nation but still Pakistan believes in resolving the Indian occupied Kashmir dispute through dialogue.
Senator Mushahid said for the first time military and civil leadership in Pakistan are unanimous that the Indian occupied Kashmir dispute could not be resolved through military means and it should be resolved through comprehensive dialogue between the two countries.
Appreciating the role of President General Pervez Musharraf to project the issue of Indian occupied Kashmir at various national and international forums, Mushahid said, Indian occupied Kashmir dispute has been created by India and now it is the responsibility of the Indian government to find its peaceful solution.
He said Pakistan has been providing moral and political support to the Kashmiri's but due to their indigenous struggle, the issue has been highlighted at the global level.
Mushahid said Pakistan has been trying to resolve Indian occupied Kashmir issue through peaceful means and even demanding implementation of UN resolutions, but due to non serious attitude of India, the issue is still alive even after 56 years.
Senator Mushahid, who is also Secretary General PML said, since 1989 there has been a strong movement by the Kashmiris for their right of self-determination.
He said Kashmiris have begun their indigenous movement and Pakistan never provided military support to them.
Mushahid said TV channels have projected the Indian occupied Kashmir issue and now there are many options available to the people to get information on Indian occupied Kashmir.
Appreciating the role of Safma, he said, free media has played an important role in bridging the gap between the people of two countries and now with the exchange of delegations of journalists and their visit on both sides of the Kashmir have opened new avenues in Pakistan-India relations.
The Secretary General PML said now war is no longer an option to resolve Indian occupied Kashmir issue, therefore, efforts should be made to resolve it through dialogue.
He said Indian factor has not been an important element in the general elections of 2002 in Pakistan and the last three elections were contested on issues relating to economy and Afghanistan.
Referring to response of Pakistanis towards India, Mushahid said people of Pakistan showed warm and strong feelings for the Indian cricket team in all the three matches played in Pakistan but unfortunately, when Pakistani cricket team played a match in India recently, the response of Indian's was very discouraging and slogans were raised against Pakistan.
He was of the view there should be reciprocity from Indian side for the gestures and goodwill shown by Pakistanis.
Answering a question about purchase of arms from US and Indian criticism, Mushahid said India's criticism is unjustified as Pakistan is just buying 'nuts and bolts' as compared to India, which is buying arms from USA, Russia and Israel.
The dinner reception was also attended by Deputy Chairman Senate Commander Chill our Lehman (Retd), Minister of State of Information and Broadcasting Anise Zed Tapir Khaki, Minister of State for Interior Dr Chassid WAIS, General Maid Malice (Retd) SVP PML, Abram Aki, Kabob Waste, Yaqoob Jamie our Lehman, and other leaders of PML besides Indian and Pakistani journalists.
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