Pakistan willing to be flexible on Kashmir: Shaukat Aziz

Islamabad, March 17 Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has said Pakistan can be 'flexible' on the Kashmir issue and move from 'conflict management to conflict resolution' if other stakeholders reciprocate.

Addressing the inaugural session of a two-day international Kashmir conference here Friday, he said that the ongoing peace process had generated goodwill and raised the level of expectations of the people on all sides.

He did not elaborate on the 'other stakeholders', but was apparently referring to India and the Kashmiri groups on both sides of the border.

Pakistan was are ady to reverse the course of confrontation with India and demonstrate flexibility', Dawn quoted him as saying.

The peace process, he said, provided both the South Asian nations 'with an historic opportunity to transition from conflict management to conflict resolution by settling the six-decade-old Jammu and Kashmir dispute. We must seize the moment and create a bright future for our coming generations'.

With the peace process reaching its logical culmination, Jammu and Kashmir would become a symbol of peace, tranquillity and fraternity in South Asia, the prime minister said.

'This would unleash the vast potential of our two countries and usher in a new era of peace and prosperity, not just for Pakistan and India but for the whole of South Asia.'

He said the peace process would see ups and downs and there would also be attempts to derail the process. 'However, we must all remain steadfast and committed to our objective of sustainable peace in South Asia.'

'Since the two countries are also nuclear weapon states, Kashmir is considered as a challenging place in the world and a settlement of the dispute will contribute to international peace and security,' he said.

The prime minister said Pakistan had entered into a dialogue process with India with a firm commitment and sincere hope that it would result in a just and lasting solution of this dispute in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

Media reports said the conference was boycotted by the opposition parties in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir who are opposed to make Kashmir a part of the India-Pakistan peace process. Only the ruling Muslim Conference, an ally of the Aziz government, participated.

(c) Indo-Asian News Service

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