Pak trashes Musharraf's 4-point formula on Kashmir

Ajay Kaul
Islamabad, June 30 (PTI) The Pakistan government has
trashed former President Pervez Musharraf's four-point formula
to resolve Kashmir issue, saying it was "his thinking" which
did not have the endorsement of Parliament or Cabinet and
suggested a fresh approach to address the vexed problem.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who will be
meeting External Affairs Minister S M Krishna here on July 15,
said the two countries should build on progress made in any
area and look at ways to make progress where it has not been
done.
"We will not like to ignore anything. We will not like
to ignore any development or any positive development that has
taken place between India and Pakistan," he told PTI in an
interview here.
He was responding when asked to comment on India's
emphasis that there was a need to "reaffirm" the progress made
through "complex negotiations and dialogue through patient and
unsung effort" whether in the composite dialogue or back
channel diplomacy.
"Any issue, whether it is Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek,
Water, any issue where progress can be made, should be made.
Where it hasn't been made, we should look at ways and means
how to make progress. Where progress has been made, let us
build on it further," Qureshi said in a wide-ranging
interaction.
Asked whether his government endorses the four-point
formula floated by Musharraf in December 2006 to resolve
Kashmir issue, he said, "The four-point formula that Gen
Musharraf made then was his thinking. It was being done
through quiet back-channel diplomacy."
The formula envisaged softening of Line of Control
(LoC), self-governance, phased withdrawal of troops from
entire Jammu and Kashmir and joint supervision by India and
Pakistan.
"We are a democracy, Parliament has to own them,
Parliament has to endorse them, Cabinet has to discuss them,"
the Foreign Minister said, adding these proposals were
"neither discussed by Cabinet, nor endorsed by Parliament. So,
as democrats, there are certain Parliamentary procedures that
we have to fulfill." (MORE) PTI AKK
KAB


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