ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has described the forthcoming meeting between the Indian and Pakistani foreign secretaries as a “positive” development in the ongoing efforts to reduce tension but said one should not expect “miracles” in the first exchanges.

Talking to reporters after inaugurating an airport in Ormara in Baluchistan, she said differences existed between the two countries on various issues and these should be resolved through dialogue.

Foreign secretaries of the two countries will meet without a formal agenda in Islamabad on July 18 and 19. They are expected to resume discussions on confidence building measures to scale down tension, in New Delhi a fortnight later.

Bhutto said India had accepted Pakistan’s proposal for holding such talks and this showed that the two sides were positive in their thinking and problems and differences could be overcome through bilateral parleys.

Bhutto said, “We are not interfering in Kashmir but our political and moral support for the Kashmiri brethren shall continue.”

Referring to the situation around Pakistan, the prime minister said, “we have suffered difficulties but we cannot be oblivious of our defence needs and cannot compromise on our freedom.”

Meanwhile in an interview to a Karachi based weekly “Mag” Bhutto said the armed forces of Pakistan under the present leadership were extremely professional, dedicated to the welfare and defence of the country. “I do not believe that they have any intention of intervening,” she added.

Replying to a question, she said all martial laws were bad, whether they were imposed in Pakistan or in another country. “An unaccountable regime based on repression by its very nature is one which savages its own people, and it savages its own country.”

She said the battles for building an egalitarian and prosperous nation were yet to be fought. “At the moment we have concentrated on fighting the battle for freedom and are not resorting to repression despite the worst kind of provocation that has been made.”

Bhutto said some people criticized her for showing flexibility and for making compromises. “For us the survival of the political system is important.”

On the role of media, Bhutto said the press had got freedom but they were turning to scandalizing and scandal mongering rather than investigative reporting.

“We had hoped to see that the press itself would become a fourth pillar of the government but unfortunately the press is losing its credibility.”

She said the papers were full of rumors and analysis based on such rumors. “We are all humans and if somebody makes a mistake, then certainly come to me and I will take action. Go to the courts and they will take action. The newspaper trial is worse than a military court trial,” she said.

Article extracted from this publication >> July 6, 1990