Search the Internet          Tips

Musharraf meets PoK,
overseas Kashmiri leaders

Pakistan President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Thursday said the 'bedrock' of his talks with India would be the 'aspirations' of the people of Kashmir as no solution to the Kashmir problem was possible without considering this factor.

"The issue of Kashmir is not just an issue of territory but also a serious question of their (Kashmiris) right to self-determination and other fundamental human rights," he said at a meeting with leaders of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as well as Kashmiri leaders from abroad.

Twenty leaders of the PoK government and political parties attended the three-hour meeting convened by Musharraf to discuss his forthcoming summit with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

After the meeting, PoK Prime Minister Sultan Mehmood Chowdhary said, "PoK leaders have extended full backing to Musharraf for his India visit. There was also general consensus that Musharraf would forcefully represent the views of the Kashmiris at the summit."

Those who met Musharraf included leaders of the Pakistan chapter of the Hurriyat Conference and Farida Behanji, a Kashmiri leader from Srinagar who is currently on a tour to Pakistan.

During the meeting, Musharraf said Pakistanis and Kashmiris were one as far as struggle for the right to self-determination of the latter was concerned, official media reported.

"Kashmiri people should never feel that they are alone in the struggle," Musharraf was quoted as saying.

Former president and prime minister of PoK and leader of PoK's Muslim Conference Sardar Qayyum said he told Musharraf his visit to India should be seen as a golden opportunity to resolve the Kashmir problem.

He said a breakthrough could be expected as the two governments were in a good position to solve the problem. But if the summit ends up in failure it would be 'political suicide'.

Indo-Pak Summit 2001: The Complete Coverage

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report