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Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said on Wednesday that the time is ideal for resolving all Pakistan-India disputes.
"The time is ideal for resolution of all Pakistan-India disputes and there is need for sincerity, flexibility and boldness to find a viable, genuine and lasting settlement of the central issue of Kashmir," Musharraf Wednesday evening told the concluding session of the international seminar on prospects of peace, stability and prosperity in South Asia in Islamabad.
The president underlined that the lingering political disputes cannot be resolved through force.
"The issue of Kashmir is at center-state and we cannot deny it. It must be resolved in an equitable and honorable manner, acceptable to India, Pakistan and Kashmir," he said.
Musharraf said India would find Pakistan sincere and responsive and its desires for genuine improvement in relations. He emphasized, all the Confidence Building Measures, must not be considered as a substitute for tackling the complicated issues between the two countries.
The president did not agree with the assertion that the final settlement of the Kashmir dispute would take a long time, saying "it would take long time if we lack sincerity."
Musharraf also did not agree that Line of Control (LoC) could be the final solution of Kashmir problem. He said LoC is a conflict and Pakistan and India have fought war on that. It was not fair to propose the conflict as a solution, he said. The solution will emerge if all sides are mindful that it is a problem, Musharraf added.
Kashmir should be given an opportunity to have their say in order to make the quest for a final solution as credible and sincere, the president said, adding the objectives of peace, security and economic development can be realized only if the process of composite dialogue is taken to fruition.
(Xinhua News Agency June 10, 2004)
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