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‘Laden, Mullah hiding in Pak’
Vajpayee rejects offer for talks on Kashmir

GORAKHPUR, Feb 16: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today again rejected Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s offer of talks on Kashmir saying there cannot be any dispute on Kashmir as it is an integral part of India.

Addressing an election meeting here this evening Mr Vajpayee said the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly had ratified the accession of the state with India after independence.

India would not talk with Pakistan on any other issue unless Pak sponsored terrorist activities were stopped and peace restored on the borders, the PM said.

Mr Vajpayee said Pakistan had staked a claim for Kashmir on the basis that it was a Muslim-dominated state but did not realise that the Muslim population in India was more than the total population of the Pakistan.

He said Pakistan was already occupying one third of our territory and talks would be held only for that part and not for Kashmir.

The Prime Minister said the leaders at the time of independence divided the country on religious lines. India had honoured the decision and wished to live in peace with its neighbour. However, Pakistan turned the aggressor and attacked India thrice.

Lashing out at President Pervez Musharraf for levelling unfounded allegations against India, Vajpayee said his credibility was at stake and suggested that Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar could be hiding in Pakistan.

"Musharraf had said in Washington that India was carrying out nuclear test which the administration denied in his face saying we do not have any such reports. After that Musharraf has not said anything," he said at a press conference in Lucknow.

In a further dig at him, Vajpayee said Musharraf had also named India as being involved in the abduction of US journalist Daniel Pearl but "the whole world knows that India has nothing to do with it."

"Once again Musharraf’s credibility is at stake. Whatever Musharraf says is taken with a pinch of salt."

To a question on how long the military buildup on the Indo-Pak border would last, he replied " till such time it is needed."

In reply to another question, he said there was a strong possibility of bin Laden and Omar hiding in Pakistan. "I will not be surprised about such a possibility," he said while maintaining that Pakistan was the safest place for them, adding there should be a "thorough search there". Pakistan should not provide asylum to them, he added.

Mr Vajpayee, who was campaigning for the BJP in the State, said the same party’s rule in the Centre and the State helped timely implementation of projects.

Without naming Bihar, he said sufficient funds were released to the State but they were deposited in banks and the ruling party was enjoying the benefits through interest.

He appealed to the electorate to vote for a party which could deliver the goods. The public had seen the performance of Governments of all major parties and could judge their performance.

He said UP had been ruled by parties which believed in casteism and created mistrust among the people. But the BJP Government, which came to power with the help of like-minded parties, had tried to initiate development work.

Mr Vajpayee said to resolve the problem of annual flooding in the state the Government would initiate discussions with the Nepalese Government, as all the major rivers originate there.

He said the huge stocks of foodgrains had created ‘storage difficulties’. "We are exporting foodgrains to earn foreign exchange," he added. However, India is still far behind in production of pulses and oilseeds and our agriculture scientists must think of increasing production, the PM said.

Mr Vajpayee said the Centre had lifted restrictions on the sale of farm produce to other states and farmers were free to sell their produce for better prices in any part of the country.

On industrial development, he said the Government had changed its policy to attract foreign investment into the country. (agencies)

No dialogue with Pak till terrorism ends: Omar

Excelsior Correspondent

POONCH, Feb. 16: Anticipating a major shift in Islamabad sponsored terrorism in next few months, Minister of State for External Affairs today ruled out talks with Pakistan until the cross border terrorism is completely stopped.

‘World is convinced about India’s view point on Pak involvement in terrorism and the US has put our concerns into the ears of President Musharraf just a few days back’, Mr Omar told largely attended election rallies in Mandi and Surankote areas of this district. He said India took several diplomatic initatives to apprise the world about Pak game-plan in Jammu and Kashmir and this has yielded better results with international community appreciating India’s concerns.

He laid a precondition of stopping infiltration by Pakistan for any dialogue and said that India is capable of taking on those ultras active in Jammu and Kashmir or elsewhere in the country. With containing militancy, the clouds of the fear would certainly wane away, leaving a conducive atmosphere for people to vote in the next assembly elections in the State, Mr. Abdullah added.

The Youth National Conference president said that India has been facing the brunt of terrorism for the past 20 years, starting from Punjab, that took the alarming dimensions in the wake of terror attack on Parliament. This necessitated border build up, though India is against war, as it brings only destruction. However, he asserted that India will not lag behind in meeting any challenge posed to the national integrity and nobody should test its patience. ‘We are optimistic of good days to come’, he hoped.

Mr Omar Abdullah ridiculed the formation of election commission by Hurriyat Conference, saying that if they are confident of their mass base why should there be pre-conditions. Hurriyat must face the people and honour their verdict. About the future Chief Minister, he said, that the people will decide it and not selected by Delhi or anybody else. In a democratic set up, the elected representatives of the people choose their Chief Minister.

The Minister said that nobody should nurture any iota of doubt on the fairness of the Indian election commission. ‘How about other parties forming their own election commissions like the one constituted by the Hurriyat conference’, he wondered.

Criticizing the demand of trifurcation, the young National Conference leader said that his party is against seeking votes on region or religion. He said National Conference is a secular party that has withstood the test of times. He, however, asked the people to elect their representative as the Jammu based candidates had so far represented the Jammu-Poonch constituency only. ‘Now is the time that a youthful leader from this area represents the constituency to highlight the problems of the people’, he said, while giving an indication of his return back to State politics. In that event, a youthful representative is necessary to project the cause of the State, Mr. Omar said.

Mr Omar Abdullah charged opponents for castigating National Conference and even dubbing its leaders as traitors, but when it comes to representing the nation abroad to convince the world about the Pak sponsored terrorism, the leaders of this party are deputed. He said though some leaders oppose currently the NC, but when it comes to raising the issues pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir with the PM or the Home Minister, NC leaders are in the forefront. He said his party enjoys good relationship with the national parties in Delhi.

He expressed his party’s gratitude to the electorate for giving massive mandate to National Conference in the last elections and hoped that this time it will be hundred per cent. ‘Remember, while preparing for the assembly elections, don’t forget the ongoing parliamentary elections that are as good as a test for the political parties’, he said and appealed to the voters to come and put their seal on the plough, the symbol of National Conference.

Mr Abdullah enumerated the progress and development registered during the past five years by his party’s Government and said though much has been done, still enough is required to be done for which the Government is committed.

Several other leaders of the party addressed the rallies that were attended by a large number of people of the border areas.