India has not militarised Kashmir: Pranab

Shimla, June 3: External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee today dismissed Pakistan's charge that India had heavily militarised Jammu and Kashmir, saying security forces in the troubled state were trying to restore normalcy.

''I don't agree with suggestions that there is militarisation in Kashmir. Security forces and law enforcing agencies are maintaining law and order in the state,'' he told reporters after addressing the concluding session of a two-day conference 'Towards South Asian unity', organised by the South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA).

Mr Mukherjee said the committee set up by the centre in April to consider the demand for reduction in troops in the state was doing its job.

Pakistan has been claiming that India has posted some 7,00,000 troops in Jammu and Kashmir insisting that their strength be reduced.

Asked whether India and Pakistan were close to finding a solution to the Kashmir issue, he said the two countries were holding discussions on various outstanding issues within the framework of the composite dialogue process. Three rounds of talks had already been concluded and the fourth was now in progress. ''I do hope that we will be able to resolve'' the Kashmir issue, he added.

Meanwhile, he noted that the two countries were undertaking significant confidence building measures, like the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service and strengthening of air links between them.

On his recent talks with his Pakistani counterpart in Germany recently on the sidelines of the Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM), Mr Mukherjee said there were no formal discussions between them though they did interact on quite a few occasions.

He complimented the SAFMA for organising the conference of Parliamentarians, saying such meetings provided an opportunity for informal discussions among SAARC countries without any official restrictions.

He was of the view that there should be regular interactions among Paliamentarians, journalists and civil society from SAARC countries as they truly represented public opinion.

Earlier addressing the SAFMA meet, Mr Mukherjee said India, as the largest country in the region, was ready to accept symmetrical responsibilities, including opening up its markets to its south Asian neighbours, without insisting on reciprocity. In this connection, he referred to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's announcement at the last SAARC Summit in New Delhi in April about duty free access to India's markets to the least developed countries (LDCs) from this year itself.

He said India had started work on the establishment of the South Asian University. ''We propose to set up a Project Office for the university in New Delhi and appoint an interim CEO assisted by a team of academics/experts from the region. It is our earnest hope that this university will advance a sense of South Asian Community by bringing together future gerenations of students in the common pursuit of quality education and prepare them for the challenges of the new millennium'' he added.

Mr Mukherjee said India would also host the first SAARC Cultural festival in November this year to bring together artists and cultural performances from the entire region to showcase the richness, diversity and similarity of their culture.

The SAARC Museum of Textiles and Handicarfts would be inaugurated with its first exhibition entitled 'Textiles Traditions of South Asia' at the end of the year.

He said the SAARC Food Bank would be developed as an exemplary model of regional cooperation to collectively meet the region's food shortages in times of emergencies and natural calamities.

''We look at the SAARC process as a stimulus to stregthen cross-border economic linkages, through initiatives such as SAFTA and the SAARC Development Bank (SDF),'' he added.

Mr Mukehrjee said that to reclaim its heritage and realise the full potential of South Asia, it was essential that existing barriers that restricted the movement of people, goods and investments within and across the region were dismantled. ''It is with this perspective that India has extended its hand of friendship and cooperation to all its neighbours and proactively addresses whatever differences there may be,'' he added.

UNI

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