The Foreign Office assured here on Monday that the Government of Azad Kashmir had taken steps to ensure the safety of the Kashmir Bus Service during its operation in its territory. Foreign office spokesman, Jalil Abbas Jilani reiterated that the acceptance of the bus service operation between Muzzaffarabad in Azad Kashmir and Srinagar in occupied Kashmir valley did not compromise Pakistan's stand on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
On the contrary, he said, the measure was an important confidence-building measure between Pakistan and India and hoped that it would expedite a solution of the dispute.
The spokesman thought that threats by some militant organisations to sabotage the service were uncalled for, as it would be directed against the Kashmiris using the route more than anyone else would.
The problem is the core issue between Pakistan and India and it had to be resolved in agreement with the two countries for which the consent of the people of the Jammu and Kashmir was basic, he added.
Jilani, who is also Director-General for South Asia, said that World Bank was taking necessary steps to appoint a neutral expert to umpire in the additional Pak-India differences on the construction of a dam on Chenab River near Baglhiar.
The project was a violation of the 40 years old Indus Waters Treaty and had to be resolved according to provisions of that agreement, the spokesman told his regular weekly briefing.
However, he said, bilateral discussions on the dispute could be resumed provided India stopped work on the power and irrigation project, adding that Pakistan had invoked the treaty as New Delhi had declined to stop work on the dam.
Jilani told a questioner that Pakistan as Chairman of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation had renewed its contacts with the member countries for a fresh date of the summit.
The conference that was scheduled at Dhaka (Bangladesh) was postponed as India had refused to sit with the representatives nominated by the Nepalese King, after his dismissal of the legislature and the government three months ago.
The FO spokesman again defended the Pakistani intention to buy F-16 aircraft from the US and said that their induction would "slightly improve the conventional" balance of power in favour of Pakistan and those did not pose a threat to India.
Commenting on the recent visit of former Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar to Moscow, Jilani rejected reports that it was a "secret visit" and said members of the UN forum undertook it as a giant initiative. The forum comprised nations that had "a certain position regarding the expansion of the UN Security Council".
That Club, he said, had decided sometime ago to send out an envoy to some countries to discuss and co-ordinate the position they should take. The visit of Riaz Khokhar, Jilani said, was one of those undertaken by envoys from the member nations of that forum.
He told another questioner those tripartite discussions between Pakistan, Iran and India had not taken place on the proposed pipeline to carry the Iranian natural gas. The FO spokesman thought that such a meeting was necessary to ensure that the gas is supplied to buyers at their doorstep and Pakistan had given an assurance that it would ensure its delivery to New Delhi.
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MMA supreme body to discuss next move April 5
MUMTAZ ALVI
ISLAMABAD: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal supreme council will meet here on April 6 to discuss the launching of the next and probably the final phase of agitation against President Pervez Musharraf and government policies. However, it seems that more import than future strategy, for the two giants of the alliance, Qazi Hussain Ahmed and Fazlur Rehman, is how to sink their formidable differences on the question of Fazl's and NWFP chief minister's participation in National Security Council (NSC) meetings.
The new NWFP Governor, Commander Khalilur Rehman, met Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in the afternoon to discuss the 'performance of NWFP government' and it is likely that within days the future of provincial government may be decided if MMA kept overlooking the Council, sources said.
Fazl though talks tough against the rulers but goes mild in practical terms. For instance, he skipped the MMA strike on April 2. If wanted to be here, he could have easily cancelled his foreign engagement.
It is certain that NSC issue will dominate the MMA supreme council meeting to be held at Qazi's residence. Qazi has summoned the council to review the 'million marches' and the 'wheel-jam strike', which according to the party received 'encouraging response' from traders, lawyers and transporters.
Not only MMA leadership but also analysts noted that only Jamaat-i-Islami was active to make the strike a success. It was evident from the arrests of some parliamentarians and provincial assembly members.
Fazl's Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Secretary General Hussain Ahmed and another leader Abdul Ghafoor Haideri kept a low profile during the first major show of power against the government.
Fazl is already indirectly exerting pressure on Qazi to give in, and let Chief Minister Akram Durrani be part of NSC. JUI's leadership in NWFP has been issuing statements since long, calling upon MMA not to overlook NSC, fearing that it would trigger its downfall in the province. Fazl has the lion's share in the governments of NWFP and Balochistan.
Meanwhile, MMA Deputy Secretary General Liaquat Baloch said at a news conference on Saturday that the next phase of MMA agitation could be a march towards Islamabad. But insiders believe that it would be next to impossible to go for a final round, prior to ending differences within the alliance.
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