Pak I-Day refrain 8212; Kashmir

ISLAMABAD, AUGUST 14: Pakistan's military ruler General Pervez Musharraf today pledged continued support for secessionists in Kashmir even...

ISLAMABAD, AUGUST 14: Pakistan8217;s military ruler General Pervez Musharraf today pledged continued support for secessionists in Kashmir even as President Rafiq Tarar warned Kashmir had become a nuclear flashpoint and urged the international community to persuade India to enter into a dialogue with it to settle the issue. This came amidst warnings by the Harkatul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Toiba of widespread strikes in India tomorrow to disrupt its Independence Day celebrations.

Gen Musharraf, in his independence day message, accused India of widespread human rights abuses in Kashmir, saying his country sympathised with the militants. 8220;Pakistan stands united with their Kashmiri brothers and sisters in their just cause,8221; he said.

Banners strung across the tree-lined avenues of Islamabad expressed support for the militants. A 31-gun salute was given in honour of Pakistan8217;s independence. 8220;Pakistan is a peace-loving responsible country,8221; General Musharraf said. 8220;We desire tranquil and harmonious coexistence with all countries of the world, particularly our neighbours.8221;

But India8217;s 8220;intractability8221; over Kashmir and its refusal to discuss the issue with Pakistan has created an 8220;extremely volatile8221; situation, he warned. India has refused to open talks with Pakistan demanding that Islamabad first stop cross-border terrorism. Pakistan says it doesn8217;t have control over the militants.

President Tarar8217;s address was also on the same lines. He said Kashmir had been the cause of military conflicts between the two countries and had now become a nuclear flashpoint in the region. He was hoisting the national flag on the occasion of independence day.

8220;Pakistan as one of the main parties to the dispute has time and again offered to India meaningful and result-oriented talks on the issue. India should accept the offer in the spirit of sincerity and resolve the problem,8221; he said in his address to the nation. Tarar said the international community should persuade India to agree for a dialogue 8220;in keeping with historical and ground realities8221;.

Meanwhile, in Muzaffarabad in Pak-occupied Kashmir, militant groups said they would launch 8220;massive attacks8221; against Indian security forces in Kashmir tomorrow. 8220;Our mujahideen will launch massive and fierce attacks on the military concentrations in Kashmir to turn India8217;s Independence Day into destruction day,8221; Harkatul Mujahideen spokesman Amiruddin Mughal said.

Story continues below this ad

He said the operations would target Army camps and convoys 8220;to make it clear to New Delhi that none of its installations and troops in Kashmir was safe8221;.

A spokesman for the Lashkar-e-Toiba group said suicide squads had been assigned missions to sabotage the celebrations and attack troops and military installations. 8220;We will give a big surprise to India on her Independence Day, notwithstanding the tight security arrangements by New Delhi,8221; the spokesman, who identified himself as Habibullah, said.