Pak to forget J&K itch for now

Pakistan promised on Monday not to raise the Kashmir issue at the Saarc summit here and offered to remain "constructive and supportive" on issues relating to terrorism.

"I don't think that this issue (Kashmir) would be raised, discussed or debated at the Saarc summit," foreign office spokesman Masood Khan said after the programming committee discussed the broad agenda for the meeting which begins on January 4.

The committee, comprising joint secretaries from the seven member nations, did not discuss any proposal to change the Saarc charter to accommodate discussions on bilateral issues like Kashmir, he said.

The four-day summit would consider an additional protocol on terrorism which had been "discussed for a while" but needed updating in the light of UN resolution to freeze funding and financial support to terrorists, Khan said.

"I am not sure whether the additional protocol will be signed during the summit. But Pakistan will remain constructive and supportive on issues relating to terrorism," he said.

India wants the member states to take specific steps and amend domestic laws to ensure criminal acts by terrorists are not justified on political, ideological or religious grounds.

Having backed militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan is opposed to such proposals and formulations, officials said. In view of their differences, it was unlikely that the additional protocol will include issues like cross-border terrorism, although it would be raised informally at the Saarc retreat on January 5, they said. Khan said Pakistan would encourage meetings at the highest level with the Indian leadership as the summit provided a "historic opportunity" for bilateral engagement.

"We are prepared for a meeting between the Prime Minister of India and our Prime Minister if there is a mutual willingness to meet each other," he said, adding there was no confirmation about any meeting between Vajpayee and President Musharraf on the sidelines of the summit.

Islamabad, December 29, 2003 (PTI)