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Kashmir peace conditional upon Hurriyat's visit: Pakistan

Pakistan says India's permission to leaders of the All Party Hurriyat Conference to visit Islamabad is crucial to the Kashmir peace process.

Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar claimed on a PTV interview on Wednesday that his country was ready to break the ''deadlock'' in South Asia, but added there would be a danger of regression if India failed to take a positive decision regarding the Hurriyat leaders's visit to Pakistan.

''Until and unless the Indian government takes a positive decision with regard to the visit of the Hurriyat delegation to Pakistan, the prospects will remain frozen and there will be a danger of regression. Our government is interested in giving a forward impulse in breaking the stalemate and deadlock in South Asia. We will try our best to avoid that regression, but we need India's co-operation in order to move forward.''

In moving towards a positive outcome, he said his country had been hopeful, but ''unfortunately the delay that has taken place in the decision by the Government of India with regard to facilities for the Hurriyat delegation to visit Pakistan is causing anxiety as to whether there will be any formal movement or not.''

Sattar claimed there was nothing new in India extending by one month "the suspension of combat operations in Kashmir.''

''The people who are observing the situation and are interested in peace in South Asia must wonder as to whether these initiatives will just remain initiatives or whether there will be progress towards the political settlement of the Kashmir issue,'' he said.

UNI

The Kashmir ceasefire: The complete coverage

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