Kashmir issue delays adoption of 'Shimla Declaration' by MPs

Shimla, June 3 (UNI) Serious objections raised by MPs from India over the formulations on Jammu and Kashmir in the draft 'Shimla Declaration' to be adopted by Parliamentarians from SAARC countries led to the postponement of its adoption by the delegates this afternoon.

Trinamool Congress MP Dineshbhai Trivedi was on his feet as soon as Mr Imtiaz Alam, Secretary General of the South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA), which organised the MPs meet, completed reading out the text of the draft declaration and asked the meeting if there were any objections.

Referring to para 8 of the draft declaration, Mr Trivedi said he did not agree to the formulation that a solution to the Kashmir issue agreeable to the peoples of Jammu and Kashmir, India and Pakistan should be found. He said Jammu and Kashmir was an integral part of India and it was only an issue between India and Pakistan.

Two other Indian MPs--Mr Ram Prakash and Mr Kesava Rao--endorsed the views expressed by Mr Trivedi and wanted the formulation to be modified.

Leader of the Opposition in the Pakistan National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rehman felt said since there were differences on the formulation, the isue could be revisited by the Parliamentarians.

Former External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha observed that the draft declaration was disjointed and there were references to certain issues at least two to three times in it.

Later, the SAFMA Secretary General announced that five MPs each from India and Pakistan would sit tgether again and work out a common formulation on Kashmir to be adopted as part of the declaration.

UNI