Kashmir independence not possible: Musharraf

Ruling out independence as an option to resolve the Kashmir issue, President Pervez Musharraf has said a 8216;8216;minor step back8217;...

Ruling out independence as an option to resolve the Kashmir issue, President Pervez Musharraf has said a 8216;8216;minor step back8217;8217; was required by India and Pakistan from their 8216;8216;rigid positions8217;8217; to evolve a solution based on his proposals of self-governance and demilitarisation.

There was crucial need for showing flexibility to resolve the lingering Kashmir issue and demilitarisation and self-governance proposals offered a good arrangement, Musharraf said addressing an interactive gathering at the Nobel Institute in Oslo yesterday.

8216;8216;If we keep going rigidly on our stated positions, we will never reach peace. We have to step back, all of us India, Pakistan and the Kashmiris,8217;8217; the country8217;s state-run APP news agency quoted him as saying.

Musharraf said he did not support the idea of an independent Kashmir on the grounds that it might not be achievable as both India and Pakistan were opposed to it.

Describing his proposals of self-governance and demilitarisation of Kashmir he said 8216;8216;we have to come out with something which is acceptable to the people of Kashmir who demand independence. We need to see what are the ingredients of self-governance and give them maximum including demilitarisation and security to the people8217;8217;.

He said that autonomy within the Indian constitution was not acceptable to either Pakistan or the 8216;8216;Kashmiri people8217;8217;. Similarly, a solution has to be found within the limitations of the Indian stance of no change in boundaries and to Pakistan8217;s position against changing the LoC into a permanent border. Any solution that is not acceptable to one of the stakeholders would never succeed, he said.

Both countries have to see what 8216;8216;we cannot give to them Kashmiri people and that what residual powers would be left with the joint management mechanism, which should have people from Pakistan, India and the Kashmiris.8221; He said the joint management system was a 8216;8216;good arrangement, which provides for self-governance, security of people8217;8217;.

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Taliban takes over parts of Pak8217;s tribal areas, says report

New York: Al-Qaeda and its former protectors, the Taliban, have virtually taken over parts of Pakistan8217;s tribal areas bordering Afghanistan, especially in Waziristan province, a media report said on Wednesday quoting local officials and Al-Qaeda video tapes obtained by it. The tapes, which do not have any date, show a major resurgence of the Al- Qaeda and Taliban with the two terrorist organisations openly recruiting volunteers for 8216;8216;holy war8217;8217; and calling for killing Americans and their allies. The US troops are not permitted in Pakistan and the Pakistani Army is barely visible in those parts, ABC television network said.

8216;8216;Come join the jihad caravan,8217;8217; one militant calls as dozens of people watch. The second tape shows the planning of an attack on a government building across the border in Afghanistan. The fighters seen on tape shouting, 8216;8216;Bin Laden forever! Long live Al-Qaeda8217;8217;. 8212; PTI