Musharraf for joint management of Kashmir

Endorsing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's suggestion to institutionalise arrangements to bring people from both sides of divided Kashmir closer, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said this needs to be discussed as it could be a "starter" for the "joint management" of the region.

Musharraf noted that "none of us is in favour of their (Kashmir's) independence" and suggested that a "joint framework for self-governance" of the entire Kashmir region should be worked out as part of solution to the problem.

"Yes, I think that is a starter. This is a very good term," he told noted Constitutional expert A G Noorani in an interview to Frontline magazine when referred to Singh's recent remarks that there should be institutionalisation of arrangements to bring people from both parts of Kashmir closer.

Musharraf was asked whether he would consider Singh's suggestion as "an acceptable mode of joint management" of the two parts of Kashmir.

Singh had made the remarks at the Kashmir roundtable in Srinagar on May 24 while addressing various groups of the state.

"The term ...'institutional arrangements' is what I think is correct. But we need to define the modalities," Musharraf said in the interview published in the latest issue of the magazine.

Musharraf said there needs to be "discussion and thought" with regard to the idea of institutionalising the arrangement.

With regard to "autonomy" for Jammu and Kashmir as advocated by New Delhi, he said the word creates confusion and "negative optics", and needs to be replaced.

On Singh's contention that the Line of Control should be made irrelevent, Musharraf said, "I think it is a good statement." Asked whether India and Pakistan could agree on a joint quantum of autonomy for the two parts of Kashmir and have a common model, he said, "Certainly, because none of us is in favour of their (Kashmir's) independence. So, therefore, short of independence, what is it that we are devolving on them?"

He said the two countries could discuss his proposal of "joint management mechanism on top, consisting of representatives from Pakistan, India and Kashmir, who oversee ...the joint management (aspect)".

Musharraf expressed his readiness to allow Kashmiris from both sides of the divided state to meet and debate among themselves the issue of how much power they should get to administer their affairs. Contending that a resolution of the Kashmir dispute was "do-able", he said he saw a "drag" in India with regard to the settlement. "...developing, as you say, consensus for the solution appears difficult on the Indian side," he said.

"I am reasonably sure that we will develop consensus on this (Pakistani) side." He noted that he had suggested four points to resolve the Kashmir issue, the first of which was to "identify Kashmir". Elaborating on this, he said that "there are certain areas, nuances, the strategic implications of which may not be acceptable to Pakistan or India. We have to see to that. So, let us identify the region."

As the next step, Musharraf said there should be demilitarisation of Kashmir, starting with three cities in the Kashmir Valley. The demilitarisation could be undertaken in steps, he said.

He said "self-governance" could be a subsequent measure, followed by the formation of a "super-structure which gives comfort to both, Pakistan and India, and their involvement and some responsibility and some commitment...in having their say on both sides of the border".

On the July 11 Mumbai bombings, Musharraf suggested that it could be the handiwork of "freelance terrorists" and said the two countries should have trust in each other.

"...these are freelance terrorists who are doing this (terror attacks). That is the reality. There are freelance terrorists who are roaming around and doing all this," he said.

He said the two countries should join hands to investigate and "move against them".

Acknowledging that intelligence agencies of the two countries have been operating against each other over the past 50 years, Musharraf said it was time that these agencies "reach an agreement to stop interference in each other's internal affairs, if at all there is."

With regard to India's demand for preventing certain groups in Pakistan to operate as these are cover organisations for terror outfits, he said, "One has to see what is the evidence against them...There are legal compulsions".

New Delhi has asked Pakistan to ban the Jamaat-ud-Dawa as it is a "reincarnation" of the banned Lashkar-e-Tayiba terror outfit. India has also demanded the arrest of its leader Hafiz Mohammed Saeed.