Archives

By Zeeshan Haiderr

ISLAMABAD, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Pakistan's new prime minister brushed off the Russian president's call on Wednesday for Islamabad to crackdown on Muslim rebels fighting Indian rule in the disputed Kashmir region.

Speaking in New Delhi, Russian President Vladimir Putin also urged Islamabad to stop militants crossing into Kashmir, a region that has twice taken nuclear-armed India and Pakistan to war and remains at the centre of crossborder tensions.

But Pakistani Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali scathingly dismissed Putin's appeal as well as his concerns about Pakistan's nuclear weapons.

"Pakistan does not believe in terrorism. We know what is best for us," Jamali told Reuters.

Pakistan rejects Indian allegations that it is training and arming Muslim separatists in Kashmir and says it offers only political, diplomatic and moral support to what it calls the "Kashmiri freedom struggle".

"We have always refuted it. We never believe in it. I don't want to blame Mr. Putin for making such statements while sitting in India," said Jamali, who was sworn in last month.

Winding up a summit with Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Putin said on Wednesday that Islamabad should tear up the militants' infrastructure.

"It is not only important that Islamabad would cut the waves of militants into...the state of Jammu and Kashmir, but would also increase its work to eliminate terrorist infrastructure," he said, speaking through an interpreter.

Putin also expressed fear that Pakistan's nuclear weapons could fall into the hands of extremists. But Jamali said there was no cause for concern.

"Pakistan's nuclear assets are in safe hands. Pakistan is a positive thinking country and there is no need for worry about the country's nuclear programme," he said.

Russia has praised Pakistan's contribution to the U.S.-led "war on terrorism" but officials in Moscow have suggested that the al Qaeda network has support in certain Pakistani circles.

Washington blames al Qaeda for the September 11 attacks on the United States.

Pakistan has also strongly denied recent reports that it traded nuclear technology with North Korea.

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager