ISLAMABAD: Apparently softening her tough stance, Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto expressed Pakistan’s willingness to initiate a dialogue with India to resolve the Kashmir issue in the spirit of the 1972 Shimla agreement for resolving mutual disputes bilaterally.

Addressing a joint press conference with visiting French President Francois Mitterrand here, she said Pakistan was not interested in internationalizing the dispute and was prepared to settle it through bilateral negotiations.

Referring to the Shimla agreement, she however claimed that Kashmir was an “outstanding dispute” between the two countries and Pakistan clearly recognized the right to self-determination of the people of Kashmir.

Denying Pakistan’s involvement in violence in the valley, Bhutto said, “If India has any proof, we are willing to look into it.”

Bhutto said the Kashmir issue was being internationalized by the people in the valley whose “mass uprising” had drawn world attention.

The French president, who refused to be drawn into the controversy, said the Shimla agreement was a “contract” between two parties. France he said was not interested in getting directly involved in this dispute. “We do want to complicate the issue,”’ he said,

He said he hoped both India and Pakistan would amicably settle the dispute among themselves in the spirit of the Shimla agreement.

Bhutto said Pakistan was not seeking a nuclear arms race with India, She said an important agreement had already been signed with India on non-attack of each other’s nuclear installations. Pakistan, she pointed out, had made several proposals including a regional nuclear test ban treaty, for this purpose.

She disagreed with a Pakistani journalist that Pakistan’s acquiring a nuclear reprocessing plant would lead to further tension in the region.

On Afghanistan she said Pakistan was keen to see that peace and stability was restored through an amicable political settlement.

She said the rebel led Afghan intermin government was already in the process of drawing up a fresh election plan which would pave the way for the installation of a representative government in accordance with the aspirations of the Afghan people.

President Mitterrand said France had always supported evacuation of foreign armies from Afghanistan. He said free elections were the need of the hour and the Afghan people should be allowed to determine their own fate.

 

Article extracted from this publication >> March 2, 1990