Statement by PM in Lok Sabha
Date: 24 July 2001
Webtext: http://parliamentofindia.nic.in/lsdeb/ls13/ses7/240701.html
THE PRIME MINISTER (SHRI ATAL BIHARI
VAJPAYEE): Hon'ble Members would recall my invitation to President
Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan to visit India.
In the days and weeks before his
visit, I had occasion to exchange views and perspectives - individually
and collectively - with leaders of political parties, eminent personalities,
media representatives and intellectuals, on the future prospects for India-Pakistan
relations. They endorsed, almost unanimously, our view that the visit should
be used to seek avenues for durable peace and cooperative friendship with
Pakistan. Building on the Shimla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration,
we sought, through the invitation and the consequent visit to strengthen
the broad-based framework of dialogue, so that progress could be made on
all outstanding bilateral issues, including Jammu & Kashmir.
We also identified the continuing cross-border terrorism as an important
subject to be addressed.
To promote a congenial environment
and confidence building in advance of the visit, the Government announced
some significant decisions relating to peace and security, nuclear and
non-nuclear CBM's, people to people contacts, humanitarian issues, education,
youth exchanges and trade. We believe these decisions have been well
received by the people of India and Pakistan. The Government remains
committed to implementing them.
President Musharraf, accompanied
by Begum Musharraf, was in New Delhi on July 14. He was accorded
full ceremonial honours. He called on the President, who hosted a
State banquet. The Vice-President, Home Minister, the External Affairs
& Defence Minister and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha
called on him. I hosted a lunch in his honour. At the retreat
in Agra on July 15 and 16, President Musharraf and I had extensive one-to-one
talks for over 5 hours. We also had talks at the delegation level.
During these discussions, I emphasised
the importance of creating an atmosphere of trust for progress on all outstanding
issues including J & K. I took up other specific issues which
would help the process of peace. These included the issue of 54 POWs
believed to be in Pakistani jails; the extradition of known terrorists
and criminals who have been given sanctuary in Pakistan; the up keep of
Sikh Gurudwaras and Hindu temples in Pakistan, the treatment of Indian
pilgrims visiting shrines in Pakistan, and the enhancement of mutually
beneficial trade.
I focused on the terrorism being
promoted in the State of J & K. I conveyed in clear terms that
India has the resolve, strength and stamina to counter terrorism and violence
until it is decisively crushed. I want to reiterate this determination
today on the floor of this House.
In his presentations, President
Musharraf focussed almost exclusively on Jammu & Kashmir. Honourable
Members would be familiar with all his views, since they were widely disseminated
in both our electronic and print media.
Despite the obvious differences
in our perspectives, we made progress towards bridging the two approaches
in a draft joint document. We sought to incorporate in the document
the structure of a future dialogue process on all issues, including meetings
at official, Ministerial and Summit levels. We made proposals for addressing
the issues of Peace & Security- including nuclear and conventional
CBM's, Jammu & Kashmir, and terrorism; and all other issues from the
composite dialogue. Eventually, however we had to abandon the quest for
a joint document mainly because of Pakistan's insistence on the `settlement'
of the Jammu & Kashmir issue, as a precondition for the normalization
of relations. Pakistan was also reluctant to acknowledge and address cross-border
terrorism. My Cabinet colleagues and I were unanimously of the view that
our basic principles cannot be sacrificed for the sake of a joint document.
There are strong views both in India
and in Pakistan about Jammu & Kashmir. But it is our conviction that
an all-round development in the relationship between India and Pakistan
will have a beneficial impact on our dialogue on J&K.
No worthwhile purpose would be served
by a debate on whether or not J&K is a "core issue". But we cannot
ignore the fact of terrorism and violence in the state, which is exported
from across the borders. We cannot accept that the insurgency in Jammu
& Kashmir today, with its foreign mercenaries and generous assistance
from abroad, is anything but terrorism. The daily killing of innocent men,
women and children can simply not be glorified as "Jehad" or as any kind
of political movement. Please reflect that, soon after the Agra Summit
had concluded, our pilgrims on their way to the holy shrine of Amarnath
were killed. And just two days ago another massacre of members of one community
occurred at the hands of the terrorists. That is why Pakistan's refusal
to end cross-border terrorism is the main hurdle in the creation of a conducive
atmosphere.
Pakistan has been seeking a solution
to J&K in accordance with the wishes of the "Kashmiri people". I am
certain that the primary wish of every single Kashmiri, whether from the
Kashmir valley or Jammu, Ladakh, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the Northern
territories or the Shaksgram Valley, is to live in peace, security and
freedom, so that he can make economic progress. We should constantly strive
to provide him with this fundamental right. Most of the Kashmiris have
their elected representatives, through whom they express their legitimate
aspirations. We are also willing to listen to all other streams of Kashmiri
opinion, however small the minority they represent, as long as they abjure
violence. It is in this spirit that we had offered to talk to the representatives
of the All Parties' Hurriyat Conference.
President Musharraf has extended
an invitation to me to visit Pakistan. I have accepted this invitation.
The Foreign Minister of Pakistan has similarly invited the External Affairs
Minister. This, too, has been accepted. Thus, our bilateral engagement
with Pakistan will continue. We will continue to seek dialogue and reconciliation.
We will persist with our efforts to convince Pakistan that our bilateral
cooperation should not be held hostage to the resolution of any one issue.
Though we could not conclude a joint document in Agra, we did achieve a
degree of understanding. We will build on this to further increase the
areas of agreement. Obviously, India's concerns in vital cases- such as
cross-border terrorism- will have to find place in any document that future
negotiations endeavour to conclude.
Let me add- we are not looking for
propaganda advantage or seeking to score debating points. We will engage
in quiet, serious diplomacy. Our endeavour for a relationship of peace,
friendship and cooperation will be pursued vigorously.
