Pak Govt Rakes up Kashmir Issue Again

Immediately after Hafiz Saeed’s release, Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said that the resolution of the Kashmir issue with India is linked to peace and stability in the South Asian region, thus raking up the contentious issues once again.

“Kashmir holds the key to durable peace in the region. Pak remains committed to finding a just resolution to the dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions and aspirations of the Kashmiri people,” Gilani said in a televised press conference.

The Pakistani PM said that Pakistan wants a constructive and purposeful dialogue with India to resolve Kashmir issue.

“It must be resolved through sincere dialogue for socio-economic development of the South Asian region”, he added while inviting New Delhi to the negotiation table.

Gilani, who accused India of not being serious on resolving all long pending issues between the two sides, said that in the wake of Mumbai incident, India has put a tab on the composite dialogue. Pakistan has stressed the need for engagement and resumption of the composite dialogue.

“We have pressed upon India that focus of the efforts of the two countries should remain on countering terrorism which is the real issue and not mutual recrimination,” Gilani said.

Accused New Delhi for forcibly crushing the voices of Kashmiri people, he said that Islamabad is firm in its moral, diplomatic and political support to the Kashmiri’s people in their, what he called as, crusade for freedom.

However, it’s very clear that Gilani’s statements coming just hours after Mumbai terror attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed – chief of the hard-line Islamist organisation Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) – who was detained following 26/11 was released by the Lahore High Court, points to the apparent diversionary tactics by the Pakistani establishment.

In the meanwhile, Pakistani Foreign Minister blamed India for the release of Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed.

According to Pakistani Foreign Ministry sources, Pakistani government could not provide evidence in Lahore High court because of what they called the non-cooperative attitude of the Indian government.

They said they wanted to visit the scene of crime but India did not respond. Sources in Pakistan also said that if India helps them, more evidence can be procured even now.