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J&K not a dispute: Congress

The Congress has rejected Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's demand that India recognise there is a "dispute" between the two South Asian neighbours over Jammu and Kashmir.

Kashmir is an integral part of India, as endorsed by Parliament, and that reality cannot be changed, Congress general secretary Ambika Soni said.

"India accepted 30 years ago at the Simla talks that Kashmir is an issue that must be addressed to improve relations between the two countries. The Indian Parliament too has referred to the problems in J&K. Where then is the need to redefine it as a dispute?" asked Soni.

The two-day Musharraf-Vajpayee talks at Agra ended in failure on Monday night, as the two sides held contrary views on ways to improve relations. While Musharraf said Kashmir was the "core" issue between them, Vajpayee said Pakistan's support to cross-border terrorism in Kashmir was inhibiting relations.

Musharraf's demand came on Monday at a breakfast meeting with Indian newspaper and television editors at Agra. He said he was willing to call Kashmir an issue and not a dispute and suggested the only way India could inspire confidence in Pakistan was by beginning to address it.

The Communist Party of India, Marxist, said, "I don't think Musharraf is persisting on calling J&K a dispute. I think he has agreed to calling it an issue."

The Samata Party, a partner in Vajpayee's ruling coalition, similarly dismissed the controversy as one over words, unwanted at this juncture.

"Would it not embarrass Pakistan if India were to say that Kashmir is disputed with reference to the territory held by Pakistan?" asked Samata leader Shambhu Srivastava. "It is a matter of semantics."

Ravi Shanker Prasad, a lawmaker from the Bharatiya Janata Party, said, "The prime minister cannot be expected to call J&K a disputed territory, as that would go against the Indian Constitution."

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad also criticised Musharraf for asking India to call Kashmir a disputed territory and said the Himalayan state was a part of India.

"Why doesn't Musharraf talk about returning to India that part of Kashmir that is in Pakistan's control?" asked VHP vice president Giriraj Kishore.

Indo-Asian News Service

Indo-Pak Summit 2001: The Complete Coverage

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