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Pakistan flays Vajpayee, alleges rights abuses in J&K

Pakistan on Wednesday accused Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee of uttering lies over Kashmir, and warned that 'intemperate remarks' would not help normalise relations between the two countries.

A foreign office spokesman said Vajpayee's remarks in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that Pakistan was promoting 'cross-border terrorism' in Jammu and Kashmir were 'an attempt to denigrate the Kashmiri freedom struggle'.

It was also a bid 'to draw attention away from the massive violations of the human rights of the Kashmir people by the Indian forces', the official said, according to Online news agency.

Vajpayee said on Tuesday that while Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf often talked about determining the views of the people of Kashmir, he had no idea of the wishes of the people of his country when he seized power in 1999.

The spokesman said in response: "Misrepresentations and intemperate remarks can neither alter reality nor promote the cause of normalisation of relations between Pakistan and India."

The spokesman said Musharraf, in his talks last month with Vajpayee at Agra, had emphasised the centrality of the Kashmir dispute between the two countries.

"But the president also expressed his readiness to discuss all other outstanding issues as well," added the spokesman.

The spokesman accused Vajpayee of lacking 'knowledge' about Kashmir, and challenged his claim that Musharraf had promised to take back that part of the Pakistan occupied Kashmir, which Islamabad had ceded to China.

"The Indian prime minister's outrageous claim is a figment of his imagination," said the spokesman.

India says China continues to be in illegal occupation of about 38,000 sq km of Jammu and Kashmir.

Vajpayee quoted Musharraf as having told him: "If we succeed in (reaching) an agreement (over Kashmir), we will take back the land from China."

The spokesman said, "There were many other elements in Vajpayee's statement which bore no resemblance to reality. However, Pakistan does not wish to engage in a diatribe with India."

India and Pakistan have fought three wars, including two over Kashmir, whose ownership is disputed by the two countries.

Indo-Asian News Service

Indo-Pak Summit 2001: The Complete Coverage

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