I have started to play a role in resolving Kashmir issue:Bush Press Trust of India, Islamabad, February 25, 2006
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1635637,001300430001.htm US President George W Bush has said he has "started to play a role" in resolving the Kashmir issue by calling for a solution agreeable to all parties and emphasised the need for "tangible progress" on the issue. Bush, who will be visiting India and Pakistan next week, said he would use his upcoming trip to urge the leadership of the two countries "to continue solving this (Kashmir) issue, with the idea that it can be solved." "I started to play a role in my speech and spoke out on the issue and encouraged the President (Pervez Musharraf) and Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) to continue down the road of solving the issue with a solution acceptable to all sides," Bush told PTV in an interview when asked what role he planned to play during his visit to resolve the Kashmir issue. Bush was referring to his speech two days ago at Asia Society in Washington where he urged India and Pakistan to look for a bilateral solution of Kashmir issue acceptable to all sides. Bush arrives in Islamabad on March 3 on a two-day visit. "You might remember an early time in my presidency, there was real tension. And now, all of a sudden, there's some very encouraging signs -- new transportation opportunities, trade," he said. Bush said that in his discussions with Singh and Musharraf in the past both had a "different attitude and part of it has to do with trust, but there's got to be tangible progress. I recognise that". Bush said the objective of his visit to Pakistan would be to strengthen the "good relationship" with the General. Referring to Musharraf as "my buddy", he said "relationship between Pakistan and US in the past often depended on the relations between the leaders. One objective of this trip is to continue with this good relationship. "President Musharraf and I can set a tone for the relationship because of our capacity to talk to each other. It's important to share concerns and to talk about ideas. So, one object of the trip is to continue what is a good relationship. A good relationship between me and the President tends to permeate throughout our government," he said. Bush said the other thing that's interesting and important for the people of Pakistan to know is "that President Musharraf, in his democracy initiative, can show the whole Muslim world, and the world itself, that it's possible to have a religion that is not extreme, and a state that listens to people and responds to the needs of people. And that's a really important message that Pakistan can show the world." he said. Pakistan's opposition parties has denounced Bush's earlier remarks that he supported Musharraf's "vision for a democracy in Pakistan" and he believed that the Pakistan President would hold "free and open elections" due next year. "We shared a mutual interest. Nobody wants foreign fighters on their soil wreaking havoc and it is hard for a country to develop if there are people in that part of the country that are willing to kill to achieve an objective. So we share short term with the Pakistan objectives and we have long term objectives that is to get freedom," he said On the continuing terrorist attacks, he said "more Muslims have died at the hands of al Qaeda and these extremists than anybody else," and added "I don't view these people as religious people. I view them as people who have taken a great religion and kind of twisted it to meet their means. It's a vision that doesn't recognize the freedom of people to worship." Asked what durable measures he planned to take to create sustainable relationship between US and Pakistan, Bush said "We want people to understand that the relationship is a vital relationship that will exist throughout the years. One way of doing it is by increasing trade opportunities between our countries and we will be talking about a Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT). Pakistan and US officials were currently finalising the BIT so that it could be signed during Bush's two day visit. Dr. Sherwani Mustafa: Reply: The statment of US President, George W Bush, referring to the Pakistan President General parvez Musharraf as 'my buddy', and emphasising that he has 'started to play a role' in the Kashmir issue, stands in direct contradistinction to India's known position about not allowing a third party intervention in this bilateral matter. It may be racalled that while Pakistan has been consistently attempting to internationalise the Kashmir issue, India has never allowed it to come to the multi-lateral forum or even otherwise always rebuffed the intercessory offers by third parties. The developments during the recent past, as how the US Ambassodor issued threatening note about the Iran issue on our territory itself, our government was bulldozed into voting against Iran, the nuclear deal has been jeopardised by the intransigent attitude of US that India must separate its civilian and military nuclear facilites and bring them under the safeguards of International Atomic Energy Agency are likely to prove a portent of a great disaster in the entire Indian sub-continent. And now the commanding voice of the US President about Kashmir tangle which is not the American concern gives a sense of credence to the general apprehension that in order to permanently counter the influence of Russia and China, the US Administration is preparing a grandiose plan to transform this region into its virtual colony.Iraq and Afghanistan have been totally captured, Iran is on the hit list, and the Indian sub-continent is being investigated for being the next target of US hegemonistic expansion. Thanks to our weak-kneed governments of both India and Pakistan and the 'buddies' of George Bush on either side of the border which are providing an easy launching pad for the Americans. Dr. Mustafa Kamal Sherwani LL.M.(Alig.) LL.D.(Lucknow) Former President, All India Muslim Forum 3,Sherwani Nagar, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, India Presently, Dean, Faculty of Law and Shariah Zanzibar University, Tanzania Mobile : 00255-777-420360 Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com -- This is ZESTGlobal. Post articles on international affairs to [email protected] If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTGlobal by sending a blank mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTGlobal/join/ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTGlobal/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
