ASIA/PAKISTAN - President Musharraf said Kashmir problem could be solved in 24 hours with “withdrawal of Indian troops and an agreement for the region”

Islamabad (Fides Service) - While, despite a cease fire agreement and steps of reconciliation taken by the two neighbouring powers, reports on isolated clashes in region of Kashmir continue to arrive, the president of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf has put forward a solution to settle the problem of the disputed region of Kashmir. In an interview with an Indian newspaper the President said New Delhi should withdraw its troops from the area and accept a compromise with regard to the valleys’ future status.
The Muslim majority state of Jammu and Kashmir was divided between India and Pakistan, in the war which followed independence from Britain in 1947.
New Delhi has control of the heart of the region, the mainly Muslim Kashmir valley which it considers part of India. Pakistan has always wanted a referendum to allow the people of Kashmir to choose which nation they want to belong to
Musharraf said both side will have to “take a step back”: “If they wanted to they could reach a solution in one day. The area must be de-militarised and its status must be changed”, he told the Indian daily Asian Age.
Recently President Musharraf hinted he might let the request for a referendum fall because he said Pakistan is not interested in the Hindu majority province of province or the Buddhist majority province of Ladakh. It is more interested in the central valley where the people are Muslims.
Diplomats suggested a solution could be to give the valley broad autonomy with join Indo-Pakistan sovereignty. Others propose to re-draw the present border Line of Control marked for the cease fire agreement. However the President said he is convinced that there can be no military solution for Kashmir.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 13/10/2004 righe 28 parole 287)