INDO PAKISTAN RELATIONS
Mohammad Nawaz Sharif on Indo-Pakistan Dialogue
My government has also taken the initiative to resume the stalled dialogue with India. We had agreed last June on a comprehensive agenda and a mechanism to deal with all issues including the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir in a sustained manner. We have unfortunately not succeeded yet in setting up the agreed mechanism to launch substantive negotiations on all the issues on the agenda of our dialogue.
We hope that India will reciprocate our sincerity of purpose in substantively addressing all the issues and carrying forward this process of dialogue to a positive outcome.
The existence of the Kashmir dispute cannot be denied. The right of self-determination is sacrosanct. It has repeatedly been affirmed by the United Nations. The people of Kashmir are justified in asking why this pledge by the international community has not been honoured as yet. The Security Council cannot be selective in the implementation of its resolutions.
The Kashmiri people have risen against Indian occupation. Their resolute struggle for the restitution of their fundamental and inalienable rights belies the claim that Kashmir is an integral part of India.
I am sad to say that the repression of the people of Jammu and Kashmir continues unabated. More than 600,000 Indian troops in Kashmir continue to brutalise the people.
If India is serious in its allegation that the conflict in Kashmir is being stoked by "interference" from Pakistan it should have no hesitation in allowing the UN observers present in Kashmir to verify this claim. We hope that the UN will enlarge the number of these observers and ask India to allow their stationing on its side of the Line of Control as well.
The international community has a responsibility to bring about a just settlement of the Kashmir dispute. The pledge of self-determination given to the people of Jammu and Kashmir has to be redeemed. On our part, we welcome the offers made by the UN Secretary General, United States and others to help in resolving the Kashmir dispute.
My government will persevere in the dialogue with India for the sake of our people and the peoples of South Asia. We hope that India can be persuaded to take some steps to create a climate conducive to the success of the talks. These could include First, a halt in its campaign of repression against the people of Kashmir; Second, withdrawal of at least those Indian troops which are engaged in "internal" repression in Kashmir; and Third, evolution of a mechanism to take into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people stipulated by the UN for a final settlement.
It is imperative now to negotiate arrangements to strengthen peace and security between India and Pakistan.
Since 1974 Pakistan has pursued its proposal for a nuclear weapon-Free Zone in South Asia. On the other hand, India has taken successive steps to escalate its nuclear and missile capabilities.
India's nuclear capable Prithvi missile is being serially produced. These missiles specifically target Pakistan. They have been moved adjacent to our borders.
This creates a hair-trigger security environment The development and possible deployment of the medium range Agni missile, and India's planned acquisition of Theatre Missile Defence systems, will further aggravate this tense security environment.
It will evoke the natural response from Pakistan to safeguard and augment its security and deterrence capability. India must be persuaded to revere its missile programme. To preserve peace and stability in South Asia and beyond, we propose that Pakistan and India should reach agreement for mutual and equal restraint in the nuclear and ballistic fields.
We also propose a similar arrangement for mutual and equitable restraint on conventional weapons which ensures equal security to both Pakistan and India.
We are prepared to conclude and strengthen confidence-building measures. As a first step, we could agree on a set of principles to guide future bilateral arms control arrangements
We believe that a just settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute and progress on the issues of peace and security will usher in an era of amity and progress in South Asia. To facilitate the realisation of this objective, I offer today to open negotiations on a treaty of non-aggression between Pakistan and India.
There are many areas in which we can cooperate for mutual benefits. Trade liberalisation can take place on an equitable basis. Significant foreign investment can be drawn to the region.
In the expectation that the Pakistan-India dialogue will have made a heartening advance by next year, my government intends to host a regional economic summit in 1998 which could help to open new vistas for economic progress and prosperity for our region.
All this and much more can be achieved if India joins us in pursuing our current dialogue to its successful culmination.
(Source: The Mainstream, 11 October, 1997)
