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February 15, 2000

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India shouldn't make a big thing of Clinton visiting Pakistan: Farooq

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Onkar Singh

Chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Dr Farooq Abadullah today said India shouldn't bother about whether US President Clinton visits Pakistan but try to improve relations with his country. He also said that if there is another war with Pakistan, Indian troops should forget about the Line of Control and concentrate on taking back Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Speaking to a group of journalists after addressing a public meeting in Sohna for Indian National Lok Dal candidate, Adbullah said, "We should not appear to be weak. I have always been in favour of crossing the line of control. I fully support the prime minister's view that we should talk about Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Next time there is a war, we should stop worrying about the Line of Control as some kind of Lakshman rekha. We should fight a battle to the finish, ya aar ya paar."

Asked whether he supported the view of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee that if talks are held between India and Pakistan then only Pakistan-occupied Kashmir would be discussed.

Dr Abdullah said that Pakistan is living in fool's paradise if it thinks that it can take Kashmir from India.

"Kashmir is a part of India. Terrorism is not going to pay. I'm afraid sometimes that terrorism will engulf the entire world and become the cause of the world's destruction," he said.

He said that Indians should not give the impression that they are weak.

"We should not only tell the world that we are strong but we must also appear to be strong," he said.

But he avoided a direct reply when asked about his demand that Jammu and Kashmir be given fully autonomy.

"We have already passed on the papers to the central government and I hope the new commission set up to go into the question of reviewing the entire constitution.... I am sure this would also form the part of the agenda," he said.

Asked if he thought Bill Clinton should visit Pakistan, he replied, "How does it matter whether he visits the place or not. He can do what he feels like. He is the President of America, not of India.

"We should have friendly relations with the American government. We have to strengthen our bonds with it. What interests us that he should come to India. We should not bother what he does and where he goes. It is his own sweet will.

"It is not in our interest to make it a prestige issue whether or not Clinton visits Pakistan. It is immaterial to us.

"What is of importance to us that he should come to India as a guest and we will give him the kind of honour that befits a head of the state."

One journalist asked if Clinton might offer to mediate between India and Pakistan on Kashmir.

"I do not have the magic lamp of Alladdin which can tell me what he will do and what he won't. If I had that lamp I would have changed the destiny of the country. What will transpire between him and Vajpayee only time will tell. We would get to know only after he holds talks with the prime minister. But we must tell the American president that terrorism should be dealt with firmly. Otherwise the day is not very far when terrorism will engulf the world.

"Let me make one more thing clear -- no government in India is going to accept third-party mediation."

Chief Minister of Haryana Om Prakash Chautala, who addressed a series of meetings in Haryana with Dr Abdullah, ridiculed the Congress for putting up for the assembly elections ten candidates who had lost the parliamentary elections.

"I am sure if they lose now, they will contest the panchayat elections due shortly," Chautala quipped.

Assembly Election 2000

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