The Hindu : Pakistan rejects U.S. charges on infiltration

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 17, 2003

International

International

Pakistan rejects U.S. charges on infiltration

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD FEB. 16. The Pakistan Prime Minister, Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, has rejected the latest charges levelled by the Bush administration about infiltration across the Line of Control into India.

In an interview to the Qatar-based satellite television network, Al Jazira, Mr. Jamali said Pakistan wanted resolution of all issues with India, including Kashmir, through dialogue. In an obvious reference to India, he said the people of Pakistan would never accept the "hegemony" of any one in the region.

On the U.S. allegations on continuing infiltration, he said: "Pakistan rejects all allegations of infiltration". It was not Pakistan's policy to send fighters into Kashmir via the LoC, he added.

Mr. Jamali alleged that the Indian "mindset" was to malign Pakistan for "its internal misdeeds... India, through such accusations, wanted to pressure Pakistan, but it is of no use. New Delhi must not expect to impose its hegemony on the region, because we will never accept it, the 150 million Pakistanis will never accept India's hegemony in the South Asian region".

The U.N. resolutions pertaining to Kashmir should be implemented and the Kashmir problem must be resolved at the earliest. "Time has come when the U.N. should be given a wake-up call to honour its resolutions on Kashmir and Palestine."

On the absconding Saudi terrorist, Osama bin Laden, he said: "He is a problem for those countries where he had lived, or those who are looking for him. Pakistan does not support the Al-Qaeda as it was a partner in the war against terrorism, while the Al-Qaeda is a terrorist organisation, and our link with it is out of question".

On the opening of Indian consulates on the Afghan borders with Pakistan, Mr. Jamali said India should stick to "international diplomatic norms... Afghanistan should not allow the opening of Indian consulates at Pakistan borders. We want to see our borders secure as well as we want to see a secure Afghanistan".

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