ELECTIONS '98
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ARCHIVES

Pakistan hails Mandela's reference to J&K

Pakistan today praised Non-Aligned Movement chairman Nelson Mandela's reference to Jammu and Kashmir in his opening speech yesterday, stating that it fully recognised the desire of the international community for immediate resolution of the contentious issue.

Pakistan Foreign Secretary Shamshad Ahmad said the NAM chairman had highlighted the importance of the resolution of the Kashmir issue, a bone of contention for both India and Pakistan for the past five decades.

Mandela had called for immediate resolution of the Kashmir issue, inducing a sharp reaction from India, which said it rejected third party mediation on the issue. India reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir was an integral part of India and there was no question of accepting mediation from any quarter.

But Shamshad Ahmad said the South African president's concern on the Kashmir issue is an expression of his popular support to the people of the area.

In his speech, Mandela said the issue of Jammu and Kashmir should be solved through peaceful negotiations and that "NAM should be willing to lend all the strength we have for the resolution of the problem.''

Ahmed said Pakistan remained committed to finding a just and expeditious settlement of this issue as well as others. He expressed confidence that India and Pakistan would be able to sort out differences on this issue through peaceful means.

The Pakistan foreign secretary said he had had been talking with Foreign Secretary K Raghunath at Durban on the question of getting going the process of dialogue. He said the two countries had succeeded in narrowing down their differences.

Asked about the hindrance in resumption of the stalled official-level talks, the Pakistan foreign secretary said, ''The mechanism has to be agreed only on operationalising the talks.''

UNI

Tell us what you think of this report