April 28, 2007
India Considering Safe Passage
to Foreign Militants: Khan By Sarwar Kashani
New Delhi
India is "seriously" considering giving safe passage to foreign
militants in Jammu and Kashmir, former prime minister of Pakistani
Kashmir Sardar Abdul Qayyoom Khan announced Saturday.
Addressing a gathering at the Observer Research Foundation here,
Khan - whose son Sardar Ateeq Ullah Khan is the present prime
minister of "Azad Kashmir" - sprang a surprise by talking about the
possible "safe passage" to militants from countries like Pakistan
and Afghanistan active in Jammu and Kashmir.
The "foreign mercenaries" were once widely known in Kashmir as
"guest militants". But in recent years, relations between the
foreign and local gunmen have soured.
"The matter is under discussion between India and Pakistan, and I
tell you it's being discussed seriously at the highest level," Khan
later told IANS.
Khan provided no details, and his remarks appeared to suggest that
India might give a safe passage for the foreign militants to quit
Jammu and Kashmir without coming to harm.
Stating that the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) is a religiously motivated
group with no political aspirations, Khan said if given a chance to
leave Jammu and Kashmir peacefully, "it will help in resolving the
issue".
He also made it clear that India was responding positively to
Pakistan's suggestions to resolve the five decades old dispute over
Jammu and Kashmir.
"Contradictory to common perception by hardliners in Pakistan, I do
acknowledge that India has adequately and sufficiently responded to
Pakistan's peace proposals," Khan said.
In his two-hour speech on "Kashmir Issue", he said that the path to
peace wasn't mathematical in nature to be solved by applying set
formulae.
"(Peace) process between India and Pakistan is moving on despite
impediments but hardliners are oblivious to realties."
The former "prime minister" is here to attend the second Intra
Kashmir Conference. The meet has attracted about 20 delegates from
Pakistan's Northern Areas and their Kashmir.
Asked about the terror camps in Pakistani Kashmir, Khan candidly
admitted that they "did exist there (once)" but he refrained from
calling it "terrorism".
"I don't call it terrorism but let me admit that (Pakistan)
President Pervez Musharraf has made it possible to demolish the
militant training camps in Pakistan and Azad Kashmir.
"Those who are operating the camps are still there, but what can we
do about them? But there is no training arrangement for them."
In his address, Khan regretted what he referred to as the tendency
of India and Pakistan to "always look at the past".
"Indians and Pakistanis look at the past and neglect future, which
is decided by others," he said, while wishing that "absolute peace"
between India and Pakistan would bloom in his lifetime.
"India and Pakistan have so much in common that coexistence is
inevitable but they have not been able to address the issues."
India and Pakistan, he said, had the capacity to coexist peacefully
provided "we show courage and wisdom, which is not bought but comes
from within".
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