London, June 15: Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani today reacted sharply to Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's remarks on Kargil saying, "It just means no fruitful talks will take place between India and Pakistan.” Asked about Musharraf's non-committal stand on a repeat of Kargil, Advani told a British television network that he was quite surprised. "On the one hand, the Indian Prime Minister is extending hand of friendship and on the other the General is making such statements.”
"I even thought it may have been a mis-reporting. If it is true, how will the talks move further? It just means no fruitful talks will take place. We will have to win against terrorism on our own," Advani said reacting to Musharraf's utterances in an interview to an Indian news channel recently.
Asked why India made the talks offer to Pakistan in the first place, Advani said, "When we succeeded in holding free and fair polls in Jammu and Kashmir with a 45 per cent turnout and when Prime Minister addressed a major public rally in Kashmir after several years he thought it was an opportune moment to make a third effort towards peace." "The idea was even if there is no result, at least the world will know India is interested in peace," he said.
The Deputy Prime Minister, who arrived here today on a four-day visit at the invitation of his British counterpart John Prescott, made it clear "whatever Pakistan has done to end cross-border terrorism so far is not sufficient."
Replying to a question about his talks with US President George W Bush in Washington last week, Advani said the American leader had assured that he would talk to Musharraf later this month to make the atmosphere conducive for talks between India and Pakistan." "President Bush told me that he will tell Musharraf to see that the killing of innocents in Kashmir is stopped," he said.
Earlier, Advani arrived here by an Air India commercial flight at the end of his week-long visit to the USA. Bureau Report