On Sunday Pakistani President, General Pervez Musharraf,
expressed the hope that the on-going dialogue process with India
would lead to the settlement of the longstanding Kashmir
disagreement.
"Pakistan and India have embarked upon a sustained dialogue
process on Kashmir and today I want to reassure all Kashmiris that
ultimately it's their wishes that'll guide us as we pursue a just
and honorable settlement of this tragic dispute," the president
said in his message on the occasion of "Kashmir Solidarity Day"
which is on Monday.
Rallies will be organized across Pakistan Monday at government
and unofficial levels to display support for the people of
Kashmir.
Referring to the recent visit of a delegation from the Indian
controlled Kashmir the president said the visit of the leadership
of the All Party Hurriyyat Conference to Pakistan was part of this
process.
He said Kashmir related confidence building measures were an
attempt to bring some relief to the day-to-day lives of the people
on both sides of the divided territory.
Musharraf said his four-point proposal on Kashmir was also aimed
at breaking the decades-old deadlock and given sincerity and
goodwill this could provide a durable solution that genuinely
reflected the aspirations of Kashmiris.
"We owe it to our future generations to find an amicable and
honorable settlement so that peace and tranquility can finally
prevail in the region," he said. "Our children should never again
live in fear or with mistrust but should be nurtured in an
environment where honor, dignity and freedom for all are assured,"
he said.
(Xinhua News Agency February 5, 2007)