Zardari terms Kashmir "solvable problem"

London, Jun 28 (PTI) Describing as "solvable" the Kashmir issue with India, Pakistan's ruling Pakistan People's Party chief Asif Ali Zardari has said the two countries should not allow slow progress on it to be an obstacle to work in other cooperative matters.

"We must make viable peace. This (Kashmir) is a solvable
problem that must not take further lives," Zardari said in a
'special vision statement' read out at a conference organised
by 'Tehelka' magazine here Friday.

Pending a final settlement, "we agree with the statement
of your Prime Minister supporting an autonomous Kashmir
running much of its own affairs," Zardari said.

"A Commission can be established between the two
countries and the leaders of Kashmir themselves to work out
what should be done in foreign and defence affairs," he said.

The PPP Chairman said that while working out the solution
to Kashmir, "we should not allow slow progress on it to be an
obstacle to work in other cooperative matters."

"There are several ways to strengthen our relations. One
important way is through economic integration and trade,
business cooperation, media exchanges, transportation links
between our two countries, the energy requirements of our
economies, sports and entertainment events, cooperation in
the Information Technologies, the peaceful uses of nuclear
energy, in medicine, education and agriculture," Zardari said.

He said the PPP believed that Indo-Pak relations could
and should be creatively rediscovered.

"It is a matter of great satisfaction that today our
political opponents as well as the military establishment in
Pakistan realise the importance of peace -- for making or
breaking nations."

Zardari said the PPP believed that a very important thing
for Pakistan was to have civilian control over military. "It
is important that the civilian government and Parliament have
the upper hand in devising and conducting foreign policy."

He noted that during two tenures of PPP in office,
"neither of our peoples nor armies had to face a Kargil-like
situation, nor were there terrorist attacks on Indian targets
such as the Bombay blasts or the Indian Parliament attack."

"It is not easy to keep the peace and simultaneously rein
in the militants but the PPP government did so," he said at
the meet entitled 'India Pakistan - Designing a New Future.'

He recalled that during the rule of the PPP, the Simla
Agreement was signed between Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1972. As a result of that agreement,
India and Pakistan have not gone to full war although they
were engaged in conflict, he said.

He said the challenge for the two nations is to dismantle
militant cells so that they cannot hold foreign policies of
the two nations hostage to their acts of terrorism.

Noting that there is a consensus among political parties
of the two countries that peace must be established, Zardari
said: "we also agree that a very serious danger to the peace
process comes from militants and terrorists."

"The PPP ... welcomed the decision by both India and
Pakistan to work together on anti-terrorism efforts and to
share information in this regard as a positive step forward."

Referring to the theme 'Democracy, Trade and War Against
Terror', Zardari said: "We have to protect innocent people of
our countries by both Pakistan and India working for the
dismantlement of militant groups, the elimination of terrorism
and the promotion of interfaith tolerance and harmony."

Noting that PPP has made trade, not conflict with India,
a top priority of its relations with India, he said "after 60
years of independence and mutual acrimony we must now pledge
an end to war, terrorism, death and destruction." PTI HSR
SG

No plans to capture Peshawar, says Pakistani Taliban chief

Islamabad, Jun 28 (PTI) Amid reports that Pakistani army
was preparing for a major push against Taliban, the outfit's
local chief has threatened to end peace talks with authorities
and dismissed as government propaganda claims that militants
wanted to capture Peshawar.

"Peshawar isn't Srinagar that we want to capture it.
Taliban cannot think of damaging their beloved Peshawar, which
is the capital and identity of our (North West Frontier)
province," Baitullah Mehsud said in a statement.

The Pakistani Taliban chief accused the government of
sponsoring propaganda about an impending attack on the city to
justify new military operations against his fighters, the News
daily reported.

However, he said the Taliban had the capacity to take
Peshawar if they wanted to do so, but they had no such plans.

The statement issued by Mehsud's spokesman Maulvi Omar
said the government had taken action against the Taliban in
Nowshera, Tank and Darra Adamkhel and that the house of a
Taliban commander, Hayatullah, was demolished in Tank and some
arrests were also made in Nowshera and other places in NWFP.

".... we would not tolerate any more action against the
Taliban anywhere in the NWFP and the FATA (Federally
Administered Tribal Area). If the government continues to take
such anti-Taliban measures and launches new military
operations against us we would be justified in retaliating
with attacks in the cities of Pakistan," Mehsud said.

His statement follows President Pervez Musharraf and
Premier Yousaf Raza Gilani's approval to army to take action
to control growing militant activities in the restive NWFP and
nearby tribal areas.

Accusing the government of planning fresh anti-Taliban
military action under US pressure, Mehsud said in such a
situation the Taliban would end peace talks with the
government and scrap peace agreements signed in Swat, Mohmand
Agency and Darra Adamkhel.

Baitullah Mehsud, who is based in South Waziristan,
occasionally issues statements.

A few weeks ago, he invited journalists to his hideout to
a press conference in which he denied allegations that he was
involved in the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, who was
killed in December last year.