Pak has interest in annexing Kashmir: JKLF

Dr Shabir Choudhry, chairman, Diplomatic Committee of JKLF said, "Musharraf has spelled out that the process was 'bilateral'".

While criticising General Pervez Musharraf's new stand on Kashmir, Dr Shabir Choudhry, chairman, Diplomatic Committee of JKLF said, "Pakistan has once again made a change to its stand on the Kashmir dispute." He added, "Only consistency in Pakistan's Kashmir policy is that it has been changing with time; and despite that Pakistani officials still claim that they have a 'principled' stand on Kashmir."

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Dr Choudhry stated, "Despite previous claims that Pakistan wanted people of Jammu and Kashmir to be part of the peace process, President General Musharraf has spelled out that the process was 'bilateral' and he didn't want to make it 'trilateral or multilateral'."

"General Musharraf has only confirmed what various Pakistani governments have been doing since 1947. They have always treated the Kashmir dispute as if it was a bilateral issue between the two countries; if that was not the case then the respective governments of Pakistan should have insisted that the Kashmiri leaders must represent their own case at various levels."

It was Pakistan which requested the UN Security Council that Kashmiri people's right of self determination should be curtailed and limited to either joining India or Pakistan, recalled Choudhry adding it was unfortunate that Pakistan "has always opposed independence of people of Jammu and Kashmir and it is because of this President Musharraf has openly opposed idea of an independent Kashmir".

"And this clearly shows that Pakistani governments had more interest in annexing Kashmir rather than right of self determination of Kashmiris," he added.