Peace process would go on with India: Musharraf

Islamabad, Oct 01: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf today said the peace process with India had been resumed and it would go on.

''There is a forward movement and I hope this will move forward further,'' Associated Press of Pakistan quoted him as saying here tonight on his return from the four-nation tour.

He said the Joint Statement issued in Havana is a very major step forward because it recognises ''our joint desire to solve the problems especially the Kashmir issue.'' President Musharraf, who visited Belgium, Cuba, United States and Britain, described the joint statement issued after his meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as very important and said it was a way forward towards conflict resolution.

''The statement underlined the need to narrow down divergences and reinforce convergences,'' he said adding that it also underscored the need of resolving the Siachen and Sir Creek problems.

He said Dr Singh had accepted his invitation to visit Pakistan, adding that they agreed during the Havana meeting that the visit should be concrete and substantive.

President Musharraf's remarks came in the backgroup of renewed allegations about involvement of ISI and Pakistani nationals in Mumbai bombings of July 11 by Mumbai police commissioner, which Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasneem Aslam described as irresponsible and unsubstantiated.

Gen Musharraf said his four-nation visit helped promote understanding with world leaders on regional and international issues including the war on terrorism and remove misperception about Pakistan, especially the peace deal with tribal elders in North Waziristan to curb Taliban activities.

''My visit has been very successful,'' said the President.

In his wide-ranging talks with the European Union (EU) leadership in Brussels, the President said, he discussed the situation in Afghanistan in the wake of shifting of focus from al-Qaeda to Taliban and the need to address the root causes of terrorism, the report said. The President said he also informed them about the peace deal signed between the authorities and local tribesmen in North Waziristan tribal region, bordering Afghanistan.

His discussion with the EU leaders helped remove misgivings about the agreement that was aimed at isolating Taliban and curbing militant activities in the tribal region, the President said.

He also held an important meeting with the Kashmir group in the European Parliament and discussed Pakistan's efforts to resolve all outstanding issues with India including Kashmir.

During his stay in the United States, the President addressed the UN General Assembly and held talks with the US President, George W Bush, besides having extensive engagements with the American and international media and influential US think-tanks.

President Musharraf said that during these meetings, he successfully removed misperceptions about the North Waziristan peace deal. The President said he explained the new environment and the new phenomenon of Talibanization and Pakistan's strategy to deal with them.

''It is a matter of satisfaction that they have understood our point of view and the holistic strategy which the government is pursuing to deal with the menace of extremism and terrorism in the tribal areas,'' the agency quoted him as saying.

President Musharraf described his meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai at the Iftar dinner hosted by the US President at the White House, as very positive and said it helped remove misunderstandings and paved the way for forward movement in the anti-terror campaign.

He said the two sides agreed that there should be closer cooperation and intelligence sharing to jointly combat terrorism and extremism and counter Taliban.

The President also formally launched his memoir ''In the Line of Fire'' at a prestigious and influential American think-tank that he said was to project Pakistan in its correct perspective.

UNI

Related Stories