http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20141121/main5.htm
Will consult
Kashmiri separatists before talks with India: Sharif
Afzal Khan in
Islamabad
Pakistan Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif has blamed India for adopting inflexible approach towards
the Kashmir issue. Ignoring India's opposition, Sharif today said Pakistan
would hold dialogue with Kashmiri separatists to take them into confidence
before engaging in peace talks with India.
Speaking at a
meeting of Kashmir Council in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-occupied
Kashmir on Thursday, Sharif said he would consult Hurriyat leaders prior to
entering negotiations with India.
"It is our
fundamental belief that the Kashmir issue should be resolved through dialogue.
My government started dialogue with India but it cancelled the scheduled talks
between the foreign secretaries," he said.
New Delhi called
off foreign secretary-level talks with Pakistan scheduled to be held on August
25 after Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit met Kashmiri separatists.
Sharif's comments
came ahead of the SAARC summit next week in Nepal which will be attended by him
and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In September,
Sharif raised the Kashmir issue at the UN General Assembly session invoking
indirect response from his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. The Indian
External Affairs Minister gave a more pointed reply reiterating Indian position
that "Kashmir is an integral part of India". Calling for a peaceful
resolution of the dispute in the Muzaffarabad meeting, Sharif said all issues
should be resolved through negotiations and without the use of force.
"Many
civilians and security personnel were injured during the recent ceasefire
violations along the Line of Control. We don't want to use power," said
Sharif.
He also expressed
concern over the silence of the UN and international community on the issue and
urged them to take initiative for the resolution of the dispute according to UN
Security Council's resolutions and the aspiration of Kashmiri people.
"Pakistan has always kept Kashmir issue at the forefront in all world
peace forums," Sharif said.
Shunning India's
accusations related to Pakistan harbouring militants, Sharif said:
"Pakistan is not providing sanctuaries to anti-India elements. India has
propaganda against us that we are harbouring terrorists in order to cover up
their wrongdoings in Kashmir," he said. Pakistan itself is a victim of
terrorism and is doing everything to eliminate it, he said. (With agency
inputs)
http://www.dawn.com/news/1145698/army-chief-raises-issue-of-border-violations-by-india
Army chief raises
issue of border violations by India
WASHINGTON: The
focus of debate shifted on Wednesday from Afghanistan to India-Pakistan
relations as Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif had his first encounter with US
lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
In official
statements, both US and Pakistani sides continued to focus on Afghanistan and
the operation against militants in Fata, but the debate in Washington’s
diplomatic circles shifted dramatically following reports that Pakistan was
also urging the United States to use its influence to reduce tensions on the
Indian border.
BBC reported
earlier Wednesday that Gen Sharif had highlighted current developments in
India-Pakistan relations in a series of meetings with senior US officials.
According to the
report, he told the Americans that continuous violation of ceasefire at the Line
of Control and the working boundary had also affected Pakistan’s operation
against terrorists in Fata.
He spent his first
day in Washington at the Pentagon, meeting senior defence officials and
generals and also received the US Legion of Merit medal in recognition of “his
brave leadership, sagacity, vision and efforts for peace and stability in the
region”.
On Wednesday, he
met members of the two senate committees — on intelligence and foreign
relations — on Capitol Hill.
The BBC report
highlighted an issue — situation on the LoC and the working border — that was
already mentioned by Pakistani and US officials in earlier statements.
Chief spokesman
for the Pakistani military, Maj Gen Asim Bajwa, tweeted from Tampa earlier this
week that “Indian aggression along the line of control (was) also discussed” in
meetings with Centcom officials.
In another tweet,
he said that Gen Sharif gave “Pakistan’s perspective on regional security (and
on) improving Pak-Afghan military relation”.
In his third
tweet, Maj Gen Bajwa said that Gen. Sharif focused on “regional security and
stability”.
In a statement on
Gen Sharif’s meetings at the US Department of Defence, Pentagon Press Secretary
Rear Adm John Kirby said: “The leaders discussed regional security issues and their
commitment to an enduring partnership.”
In their official
statements, the United States and Pakistan often used the term “regional
security” while referring to troubles on the India-Pakistan border.
“They also emphasised the
importance of sustained and substantive dialogue as we continue to develop the
bilateral military-to-military relationship,” Mr Kirby said.
The official who spoke to BBC,
and was not identified in the report, however, gave more details about how the
Pakistani delegation highlighted border tensions in their meetings with US
defence officials.
Gen Sharif, according to him,
said that heavy firing by Indian troops along the border and statements issued
by Indians leaders were affecting Pakistan’s campaign in fighting against
extremism.
Gen Sharif also told US
officials that Pakistan had deployed 140,000 troops on its western borders
after getting assurance that there would be peace with India on its eastern
borders which did not happen.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-1.asp?xfile=data/international/2014/November/international_November438.xml§ion=international
LoC tension hit
anti-rebel operation, says Pak army chief
Gen. Raheel told
US officials that Pakistan has deployed 140,000 troops on its Western borders
after getting assurance that there would be peace with India on its Eastern
borders.
Pakistan Army
Chief Gen. Raheel Sharif has claimed that Pakistan’s operation against
terrorists in the country’s tribal region was affected by Indian troops’
continuous violation of ceasefire at the Line of Control (LoC) and Working
Boundary WB.
An official in
Washington told BBC Urdu that during his
first visit to the US, the army chief had said that heavy firing by Indian
troops along the border and statements issued by their leaders were affecting
Pakistan’s campaign in fighting against extremism.
Gen. Raheel told
US officials that Pakistan has deployed 140,000 troops on its Western borders
after getting assurance that there would be peace with India on its Eastern
borders which did not happen.
However, there was
no word on Gen Raheel’s statement by the US but experts often say that the US
now avoids interfering in India-Pakistan matters.
Frequency of
ceasefire violation along the LoC and working boundary has increased during the
past several weeks. Pakistan has also established diplomatic channels to
communicate with India over the issue. More than 19 people have lost their
lives on both sides as a result of the cross-border conflict.
Gen. Raheel on
Wednesday met US congressmen where he briefed them on the ongoing operation
Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan. Issues related to US-Pakistan long-term
strategic partnership post-withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan were also
discussed during the meeting.
Gen. Raheel, whose
delegation was greeted with a full honour guard at the US defence headquarters,
discussed security matters with Deputy Secretary of Defence Robert O. Work and
chairman of Joint Chiefs Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey, according to a US Defence
Department statement. He also met chief of the US Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno
and commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford.
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