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Jaswant cautions Pak against rejection of agreements

In a clear rebuff to Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf's criticism of the Lahore and Simla peace accords, External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh on Saturday cautioned against the selective rejection of bilateral accords.

Emerging from a 20-minute meeting with Musharraf at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Singh said that the two countries needed to keep in touch with what they have learnt in the path of negotiation and dialogue traversed many times earlier.

"It would be befitting if we did not selectively reject what we did not like because each of those journeys has contributed to addressing complex issues of India-Pakistan relations," he said.

He recalled Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's letter to Musharraf on the need for the two countries to traverse the high road of peace together so that they are able to address the principal adversary that faces the two countries which is poverty, want and hunger.

Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani did some plain-speaking when he called on Musharraf during which he is believed to have raised issues of cross-border terrorism, the hijacking of the Indian Airlines aircraft to Kandahar and extradition of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, currently in Pakistan.

Advani later briefed the prime minister on his meeting with Musharraf before the lunch hosted by Vajpayee in honour of the visiting dignitary.

Vice President Krishan Kant and leader of the opposition Congress party Sonia Gandhi also had separate meetings with the Pakistani leader.

PTI

Indo-Pak Summit 2001: The Complete Coverage

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