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`Pak ready to scrap nukes if India does the same`
Islamabad, May 05: Pak PM Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali tonight held a meeting with leaders of major political parties seeking a consensus on the peace initiative with India even as President Musharraf announced his readiness to get rid of nuclear weapons if India did the same and if the Kashmir issue was resolved.
Islamabad, May 05: Pak PM Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali tonight held a meeting with leaders of major political parties seeking a consensus on the peace initiative with India even as President Musharraf announced his readiness to get rid of nuclear weapons if India did the same and if the Kashmir issue was resolved.
President Pervez Musharraf, in an interview to a private Pakistani television channel, said Pakistan could work for a no-war pact with India followed by mutual reduction of troops and de-nuclearisation of South Asia if the Kashmir issue was resolved.
These announcements came after Islamabad virtually backed New Delhi's stand that careful preparations were needed for summit-level talks.
Leaders of Pakistan's political parties, which have representation in the national assembly, attended the meeting held at the official residence of Jamali, two days after he extended a formal invitation to his Indian counterpart Atal Bihari Vajpayee to visit Islamabad for talks. Within hours of the invitation, Vajpayee had written back to Jamali saying a careful preparation on the ground was necessary for meaningful engagement at the highest level. Asserting that Pakistan was ready for a composite bilateral dialogue at any level to discuss all outstanding issues, including Kashmir, foreign ministry spokesman Aziz Ahmed Khan said Islamabad was also ready to get rid of its nuclear arsenal if India did the same. Terming as "positive" Vajpayee's reply to the invitation from his Pakistani counterpart Mir Zafarullah Jamali to visit Islamabad, Aziz Ahmad Khan said Pakistan was not disappointed about Vajpayee's suggestion for careful ground work before the summit-level talks. Pakistan Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali will soon announce confidence-building measures to improve ties with India, Pak foreign minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri said tonight.
"We have taken decisions. Prime Minister Jamali will announce them. It won't be too long," Kasuri told a television network, adding Pakistan was "prepared to go the whole hog". Giving some indications of the CBMs that are expected to be announced, Kasuri said "we want to encourage people to people contacts". On India's proposal for resuming snapped air links, he said 99 per cent of the people on both sides could not afford air travel. "Pakistan is prepared to go much further by increasing people to people contacts" by opening road and rail links, he said. "We will play the pitch as Prime Minister Vajpayee wants--on the fast or slow track", Kasuri said drawing on cricket parlance.
Bureau Report
Leaders of Pakistan's political parties, which have representation in the national assembly, attended the meeting held at the official residence of Jamali, two days after he extended a formal invitation to his Indian counterpart Atal Bihari Vajpayee to visit Islamabad for talks. Within hours of the invitation, Vajpayee had written back to Jamali saying a careful preparation on the ground was necessary for meaningful engagement at the highest level. Asserting that Pakistan was ready for a composite bilateral dialogue at any level to discuss all outstanding issues, including Kashmir, foreign ministry spokesman Aziz Ahmed Khan said Islamabad was also ready to get rid of its nuclear arsenal if India did the same. Terming as "positive" Vajpayee's reply to the invitation from his Pakistani counterpart Mir Zafarullah Jamali to visit Islamabad, Aziz Ahmad Khan said Pakistan was not disappointed about Vajpayee's suggestion for careful ground work before the summit-level talks. Pakistan Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali will soon announce confidence-building measures to improve ties with India, Pak foreign minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri said tonight.
"We have taken decisions. Prime Minister Jamali will announce them. It won't be too long," Kasuri told a television network, adding Pakistan was "prepared to go the whole hog". Giving some indications of the CBMs that are expected to be announced, Kasuri said "we want to encourage people to people contacts". On India's proposal for resuming snapped air links, he said 99 per cent of the people on both sides could not afford air travel. "Pakistan is prepared to go much further by increasing people to people contacts" by opening road and rail links, he said. "We will play the pitch as Prime Minister Vajpayee wants--on the fast or slow track", Kasuri said drawing on cricket parlance.
Bureau Report