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No mediation needed at
this stage: Musharraf

Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf on Friday said he does not see the need for a third-party mediation in Kashmir at this stage.

Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, Musharraf said India and Pakistan have initiated a dialogue in Agra and are committed to carry it forward. "We are two mature nations capable of resolving our differences. However, if these attempts fail, then we will have to invite a third party to mediate," he said.

The general used the press conference, to which the Indian media was also invited, to reiterate the centrality of the Kashmir issue in Indo-Pak relations -- his pet theme ever since Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee extended the invitation for talks in June.

"I have said time and again, we cannot move forward unless we recognise Kashmir as the main issue. And it is the main issue -- that is the reality and we must accept this reality," he said.

The general, for once acting like a diplomat, a role he self-admittedly hates, refused to talk about what went wrong in Agra. However, he did hint that a deal was almost clinched.

"All I can say is that two chairs and a table were ready for the signing ceremony. But things went wrong at the last moment. I would not like to speculate on what went wrong, but everyone was saddened by the developments," General Musharraf said.

Asked by an Indian journalist whether he regretted turning a break-fast meeting with Indian editors into a press conference when his talks with the prime minister were incomplete, Musharraf said he did not see anything wrong with what he said at that meeting.

"I don't know why this has become such a issue. What did I say in the meeting which I had not said before. I am saddened when this meeting is cited as the reason for the failure of Agra talks."

The general said he is even willing reciprocate by arranging a press conference for Vajpayee "at a place and time of his choice" when he comes to Pakistan. "I will invite the entire Pakistani, Indian and international media, I promise you that," he said.

Asked by Chindu Shreedharan of rediff.com if it would be prudent, given the contentious nature of the Kashmir dispute, to discuss other less complicated issues to provide momentum to the talks, the general gave his trademark reply that it would be difficult to talk of trade and culture when people were being killed in the Valley.

Clearing the air on why he was not present at the Wagah border when Prime Minister Vajpayee travelled in a bus to Pakistan on a peace mission, Musharraf said he had received the prime minister at the Governor's House in Lahore. "I was the first one to salute him when he got off the helicopter."

On several occasions during the over two-hour conference, he objected to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh being referred to derogatorily by Pakistani journalists. "I respect Prime Minister Vajpayee and Jaswant Singh sahab for their courage and open-mindedness. They were open about their compulsions and appreciated ours. In any dispute, there are different views. We must respect these," he said.

Indo-Pak Summit 2001: The Complete Coverage

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