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Journalism of Courage
Pakistan today opposed any move to grant autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir as a solution to the protracted issue claiming it was rejected by the people of the state.
‘‘Autonomy as a solution has already been rejected by Kashmiris,” Pakistan Foreign office spokesman Masood Khan told reporters here when asked to comment on External Affairs Minister’s reported remarks in favour of considering regional autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir. ‘‘Autonomy was discussed and tried in the past,” Khan said, adding it has been rejected by the people of Kashmir.
He said the ‘‘real issue” was to ascertain the wishes of Kashmiris about the political future and dispensation.
‘‘There are three parties — India, Pakistan and Kashmiris. Together they have to come up with a solution,” Khan said.
On Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s comments of India not being in favour of redrawing international borders, Khan said ‘‘he may not divide India but still we have to address the Jammu and Kashmir issue. It is disputed territory. We have to decide its future.”
Denying reports that Pakistan has decided to freeze the Kashmir issue and follow Chinese model of normalising ties with India, the spokesman said ‘‘We have not accepted any model or frozen Kashmir issue. Kashmir is on the Front burner.”
‘‘We have stated positions. We are looking for space available within the stated positions,” he said.
