Militants in Indian Held Kashmir are terrorists: Zardari

[LRE]

India praises Zardari for policy shift on Kashmir 'terrorists'

By James Lamont in New Delhi and Farhan Bokhari in,Islamabad

Published: October 7 2008 03:00 | Last updated: October 7 2008 03:00

India yesterday hailed the branding of militants in Kashmir as "terrorists" by Pakistan's president as a breakthrough for the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

Asif Ali Zardari's remarks are a shift from a long standing Pakistani policy of extending "moral and diplomatic support" to insurgents in the disputed, Muslim majority territory. They were made shortly before India locked down Kashmir under a curfew to prevent separatists staging a pro-independence rally this week.

Pakistan and India have fought three wars and a number of skirmishes involving thousands of troops on both sides of Kashmir's border, known as the Line of Control.

Anand Sharma, India's minister for external affairs, said yesterday that, after years of differences, Pakistan had finally swung in line with India's view of the security challenges in the region.

"India had always raised the matter of cross-border terrorism in international fora and Zardari's statement confirms this [view]", Mr Sharma said.

India's main opposition, the Bharatiya Janata Party, said Mr Zardari's statement marked a new chapter in relations with Pakistan.

Mr Zardari made his overture to India in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, in which he also said India posed no threat to Pakistan and that the two countries had to develop better economic links.

The shift follows expressions of support for the newly elected Pakistani leader by George W. Bush, US president, and Manmohan Singh, India's prime minister, at the United Nations General Assembly last month.

Kashmiri politicians have seen a tempering of hostility between India and Pakistan, as New Delhi attempts to support its neighbour's -fragile democracy.

Mr Zardari, however, faced a barrage of criticism yesterday in Pakistan.

"With whose authority has President Zardari made this obnoxious comment about those we consider as freedom fighters in Kashmir?" asked Attiya Inayataullah, a leader of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid e Azam (PML-Q).

"President Zardari has not consulted anyone before making this statement. He is behaving like a one-man show. This is simply out-rageous."

Liaquat Baloch, of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), the coalition of Islamic political groups, urged Mr Zardari "to withdraw his statement in the national interest. How can he single-handedly reverse what is indeed our established policy?"

Talaat Masood, a retired Pakistani army general, said Mr Zardari's comments would be "poorly received" by the defence and strategy communities in Islamabad.

Anti-India activists had planned a protest in Lal Chowk, or Red Square, in Srinigar yesterday. Over the past few months, growing unrest in Kashmir has given rise to some of the biggest demonstrations since an insurgency erupted against Indian rule in 1989.

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