Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri on Thursday called for avoiding statements that could prove counterproductive to the ongoing dialogue process between Pakistan and India. "Pakistan-India relations are at a very delicate stage at the moment that required careful nurturing through avoidance of statements which could prove counterproductive to the ongoing dialogue process," he said, while talking to APP here. Kasuri was responding to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's recent statements in which he was reported to have said that Kashmir was an "integral part of India" and there could be no redrawing of borders.
"Statements of this nature caused disappointment among those people in Pakistan and India who are in favour of lasting peace in South Asia," the foreign minister said.
He referred to the statements made by the leaders of Pakistan and India which underlined the need to show matching flexibility for resolution of all outstanding issues, especially Kashmir.
Kasuri recalled that Pakistan had said, time and again, that it was prepared to show flexibility, but it could not be unilateral.
He also said that controversial statements could also strengthen the hands of extremists in both the countries who were not happy with the progress that had been achieved so far.
Kasuri hoped that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz's visit to India and his meetings with his counterpart Manmohan Singh would lead to further strengthening of the peace process. To another question whether Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had made the statement due to domestic political compulsions, Kasuri said, he would not like to comment on India's internal politics, but added, "On an issue as important as Kashmir it was necessary to transcend such considerations."
While explaining the situation, t he foreign minister said the fact is that Kashmir is a disputed territory which Pakistan and India have to resolve through dialogue and negotiations.
He recalled that in New York President Musharraf and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had an excellent meeting. "One witnessed great personal chemistry between them indicating that they would trust each other to bring about durable peace in South Asia."
He said in the context of that atmosphere he was unable to understand why it was necessary to say things that could have a negative and a dampening impact on the enthusiasm of the people of Pakistan and India and Kashmiris across the Line of Control.
He said in view of this extremely warm personal rapport, it seems that there is an apparent dichotomy between that spirit and some of the reported statements.
He said every man, woman and child in Pakistan and India as well as the entire international community knew that Kashmir was a disputed territory.
"It would go to the credit of the leadership of the two countries if they showed statesmanship and courage to resolve this issue for durable peace in South Asia," he added. The foreign minister referred to the meetings between President Musharraf and Prime Minister Vajpayee on January 6 and with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on September 24 in New York.
He said the joint statements issued after both the meetings had said that the only way forward for both the countries was a peaceful negotiated settlement of the dispute.
"This itself reaffirms the disputed nature of Jammu and Kashmir," he said.