Solana: Polls no solution to Kashmir problem

Islamabad |By Shahid Hussain | 28-07-2002

European Union envoy Javier Solana yesterday said the planned elections in Indian Kashmir could be helpful but would not be a "final solution" of the thorny Kashmir dispute.

"The elections will not be a final solution. They may contribute to finding ways to resolve the problem," Solana told a news conference after talks with government leaders here on Pakistan-Indian tensions.

The EU foreign policy chief met President Pervez Musharraf and separately held talks with Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Inamul Haq following talks with Indian government in New Delhi on Friday.

Musharraf said afterwards that Kashmir's future would have to be decided in according with the wishes of its people as enshrined in the resolutions of the UN Security Council.

Pakistan would "never compromise" on its just stand on Kashmir and continue to support UN Security Council resolutions calling for future of Kashmir to be decided according to the wishes of Kashmiri people, the president told a meeting of army corps commanders, according to an official statement.

Islamabad and Kashmir's Srinagar-based All-Party Hurriyat Conference reject planned elections in the Indian zone, saying no polls could be a substitute for Kashmiris' right to decide their future.

Solana repeated the EU view as he did in New Delhi that the two nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours should further reduce tension and start talks.

"We urge Pakistan and India to initiate dialogue and reduce tension," Solana said, stressing that normalisation between the two "important" nations was vital for the region as well as the world.

"Our wish is that dialogue de-escalation takes place as soon as possible."

His mission to the region apparently did little to bridge the gap between the positions of India and Pakistan, which have been locked in a military standoff on the borders for the last seven months.

Pakistan says it has stopped infiltration across the line of control in Kashmir, but India remains sceptical and has so far refused to end its massive troop deployment or initiate bilateral dialogue.

Solana praised "bold" steps taken by Pakistan.

Inamul Haq, speaking at the joint news conference with Solana, said Pakistan had briefed the EU official on the "constructive and substantive" measures it had taken to defuse tension.

"It is imperative that India should take reciprocal measures so that a serious dialogue is initiated to resolve the central issue of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the wishes of Kashmiri people," he said.

Pakistan wants international mediators, particularly the U.S., to convince New Delhi to agree to reciprocal withdrawal of troops to peacetime locations and initiation of dialogue.

"We hope U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell will bring some good news when he comes here from New Delhi," a government official said.

On his way to the region, Powell said he would be seeking Indian assurance that state legislative elections in Kashmir slated for October would be free, fair, open and, just as importantly, observed by international monitors.

The presence of observers "will help the Indians show the international community, the world that it is a free, open, fair election," Powell said.

At the same time, Powell said he would be telling the Pakistanis to prevent militant attacks in the region during the polls.