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Pakistan seeks help to end Kashmir dispute |
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September 9, 2000
UNITED NATIONS, SEPT 8 (AP) - Pakistan will accept anyone's help to resolve its border dispute with India, since the United Nations can't seem to do it, strong man Gen. Pervez Musharraf said. "This issue has been in the United Nations since 1948," Musharraf said at a news conference Thursday. "It's the longest-standing dispute. It is high time." There was hope that Musharraf would meet with Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to discuss their common claim to the mountainous Kashmir region. Both leaders are here for the Millennium Summit, but the chance for a face-to-face meeting looks slim. "There must be sincerity on both sides," Musharraf said. "I would like to meet on any level, any place, any time. The ball is totally in their court. I don't see any progress." The two nations went to war twice over Kashmir and nearly fought again in 1998. U.S. President Bill Clinton's peace initiatives have failed, and Pakistan reportedly received offers from neighboring Bangladesh to mediate a solution. "We would accept any mediation, any action to reduce tension," Musharraf said. He added that "a stronger approach is needed, more persuasive methods." Pakistani officials say Musharraf has taken unprecedented steps to create trust and mutual respect. He proposed a "no war pact" - one-upping proposals to discuss restraints on nuclear weapons. "Why talk nuclear weapons?" he asked. "Let's banish war. Let India come forward." At the Summit, Musharraf raised two issues: strengthening U.N. mechanisms to resolve conflicts - the Kashmir dispute again - and debt relief for developing nations. He suggested diverting debt payments to a special fund for health, education and social services. Debt servicing now consumes over half of Pakistan's annual budget, he said. Musharraf also pledged freer elections and a shift toward democracy at home. But he made it clear reforms will be carried out his way, and at his pace. At Pakistan's next elections, minority groups will have a seat in government at all levels, Musharraf said. He called the change "unprecedented." Still, Musharraf said he first wants to set up a system of "checks and balances" - possibly involving the army - to guarantee stability. Besides, he said, elections don't guarantee democracy. "Democracy is not electing officials. Democracy starts with elections. Then there is governance," he said. "I stand for real democracy." In July, Musharraf met for the first time since the 1999 coup with Pakistan's disgraced politicians to discuss a return to democracy. He has promised to obey a Supreme Court order to hold general elections within three years. For now, he governs with a firm hand. Half a dozen times he stated: "I am in charge." He smiled when a reported called him a benign despot. "The army is a stabilizing factor," he said. "We need to take measures to ensure the continuity and sustainability of reforms." Could Musharraf be a candidate in the future? "I would be a failure," he said, smiling. "I am a soldier."
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