- LAHORE (ANI) -- Dr Mubashir
Hasan, a member of the National Council of Pakistan-India Peoples Forum
for Peace and Democracy, says the tit-for-tat expulsions of deputy high
commissioners and other staff by India and Pakistan are unfortunate and
counter-productive.
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- Talking to reporters here on Sunday, Dr Hasan said there
was a possibility of the US demanding Pakistan to denuclearise, deweaponise
its missiles, secularise its system of education and drastically improve
the law and order situation soon after the dust settled down on the Iraqi
adventure.
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- Given this assumption, he said, India could feel encouraged
to maintain high level of diplomatic pressure on Pakistan. "However,
this will be a useless exercise".
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- Expulsion of diplomatic staff meant that more vigorous
work would have to be done by the forum to mobilize the people of both
countries to influence their governments to normalize diplomatic relations,
reopen rail, road and air traffic and resume talks to settle all outstanding
disputes, including the issue of Kashmir.
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- Dr Hasan, who returned to Pakistan only a few days ago
after visiting India in connection with his peace initiative, said peace-loving
people in both countries were determined to foil the intransigent attitude
of the two governments.
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- "It seems that the Indian government is motivated
by domestic agenda. The BJP government wants to win the forthcoming elections
in Himachal Pradesh and other states on the basis of anti-Pakistan moves.
This is not new", the former finance minister said of the government's
decision to expel diplomats of the Pakistani High Commission.
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- He said: "Our history is full of episodes when either
government has used the Pakistan-India confrontation to maintain or enhance
its popularity".
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- In response to a question, he said: "The two countries
can't, and won't, go to war. They can only delay, not stop, the final step
of starting negotiations and normalization of relations". (ANI)
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- © 2003 ANI.
- Copyright © 2001 ANI-Asian News International. All
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